You Can't Fix Me, I'm Too Broken
by LinVolturi
Summary: Olivia Higham moved to Gotham to escape the memories of her rape. While she's taking classes at Gotham University, Dr. Jonathan Crane hires her as his secretary while he teaches classes there. What role will Dr. Crane play in Olivia's decline or recovery? Can Olivia escape the insanity caused by her past? Or will it consume her? Dr. Crane/Scarecrow-OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _Hello everyone! Here is my new story! I hope you will enjoy it. I am a bit of an amataur writer, so please let me know if you see any grammar, spelling or any other errors that you happen to see. I tend not to notice such errors until I've already posted my stories but will fix them as I notice them. Please note that my stories tend to either go super fast or super slow. I'm hoping with this story I will find a balance between the two. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I am still thinking of a good name for this story, so the name may change if i think of a better one. Also, this is the first story I've started while knowing what a "Mary Sue" is, so I've tried to avoid it. Please let me know if you think its too "sue-ish" and why you think it is so I change it and try to do better in later chapters. Anyway, please review if you enjoy it and have a moment to do so. Again constructive criticism is always welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I hope you will enjoy it!-Lin_

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dr. Jonathan Crane, or any Batman characters that will appear in this story. I only own my Olivia and any ocs that appear in this story. I am NOT making any money off of this story and am only writing it for the enjoyment of others.**

**Summery:** _Olivia Higham moved to Gotham to escape the memories of her rape. While she's taking classes at Gotham University, Dr. Jonathan Crane hires her as his secretary while he teaches classes there. What role will Dr. Crane play in Olivia's decline or recovery? What kind of relationship, if any, will develop between the two? Can Olivia escape the insanity caused by her past, or will it eventually consume her mind, body and soul? Dr. Crane/Scarecrow-OC Story is set before Batman Begins movie.  
_

_**Warning:**_** This story does include rape, not in too much detail, but it is there. There will also be some adult themes show up as the story progresses. I will always post warnings for those who may need it. There will be some swearing too but it shouldn't be too bad.** **This story is rated M for a reason. **_  
_

...

**_Chapter 1_**

"Shut up bitch!" The man sneered. I flinched as he slapped me as he continued to invade me in my most intimate of places. His fingernails felt like several small knives as they dug into my neck, nearly choking me as the other hand held me firmly down. I could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath while he moaned. Warm tears fall from my face as this great ape pressed his gigantic body against mine. Fear filled my body as I did my best to hold in a scream from this stranger's roughness.

Once he finished his deed, he quickly shoved me out of his truck before speeding away. I shivered from the cold pavement beneath me. I felt dirty and broken as I tried to regain my breath. My tried to slowly move my badly bruised body but failed. I wanted to scream but knew it wouldn't do any good now. I felt more warm tears fall from my eyes as I curled into a ball. I couldn't believe what had just happened.

_2 years later…_

"Let's see Miss Higham, your resume says you've already completed Bachelor's degree in Behavioral science back in North Dakota, is that correct?" a man with black hair, icey blue eyes and glasses asked me as he glanced through the paper in his hand. His voice was deep and very clear.

"That is correct. I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Psychology here at Gotham University." I explained, my hand twitching, slightly.

"What do you think qualifies you to work as my secretary?" Dr. Crane, a psychiatrist and a psychology Professor at Gotham University, inquired.

"I've had secretarial experience back in North Dakota. I'm familiar with the computer programs you had listed in your ad. I'm a little OCD and messes drive me crazy, so I tend to very organized and I am very punctual.I was a teacher's assistant while I was getting my Bachelor's so I have experience grading papers, using fax machines, making and canceling appointments and answering student questions if I'm able." I answered as my hands shook slightly in my lap.

I was nervous. I had, had several interviews before now and so far the only place willing to hire me was the café just inside the University's library. Between my wages and my scholarship I was barely able to cover my rent. I needed this job so I could afford to eat somewhat decent food. Ramen noodles and beans just didn't seem to cut it for me.

"Why did you decide to pursue a Master's degree in Gotham?" he asked. This job interview had been going on for at least an hour now, his questions weren't hard but he had made his expectations very clear when I first arrived.

"My scholarship." I lied. I wasn't about to tell him the real reason I had come here. It wasn't any of his business.

"I see." He stated, looking back through my resume. Dr. Crane seemed very serious and straight to business. I could tell he wasn't going to be a fun boss but besides the money, I needed to keep my mind off of the events that had taken place back home.

"Well, Miss Higham, I believe that is all. I will contact you in the next day or two if you have the job." Dr. Crane informed me setting my resume down on his desk.

"Thank you for your consideration." I said, standing up and shaking his hand. He nodded and opened his office door for me. I quietly made my way through the halls of Gotham University.

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

'_She seems qualified but her grades aren't up to my normal standard.'_ I thought as I looked through Olivia Higham's resume and transcript once again.

From her transcript, she seemed to have been somewhat of an excellent student earning several "A's" and "B's" however, that was over two years ago. Looking at her most current grades she had seemed to struggle to keep her "B" average while several "C's" and an occasional "D" appeared on her transcript. I had tried to ask her about why her grades had slipped but her body had stiffened and her voice shook as she tried to subtly answer the question.

'_She's the most qualified of anyone who had applied for the job.'_ I continued to think. _'Damn Mrs. Peirce, why did you have to go and die? Now I'm going to be stuck with some idiot for my secretary.'_

"She's not that bad, did you get a look at her ass?" I heard Scarecrow cackled. I rolled my eyes at alter ego's sexually based comment. Miss Higham was very slim and not healthy looking. Her pale face matched her lifeless brown eyes. Her brown hair was pulled back into a neat pony tail and her attire matched that of a poor business woman's clothing. She looked rough but she had at least made the effort to look professional. She also seemed willing to take anything I would throw her way.

"I'm not interested in the girl, I just need a secretary to schedule my appointments with my students, be organized and keep the office clean." I informed him.

"She could be more fun than that." The voice in my head commented.

"Just shut up and go away. I'm busy." I snapped at him before looking back down at Miss Olivia Higham's resume. I picked up several other resumes that had been sent into me but none of them seemed to stand out like hers did.

"I'll call her tomorrow and tell her she has the job. Hopefully she's as qualified as she says she is." I thought putting throwing the rest of the resumes away.

**Olivia's P.O.V**

'_You're lucky, you know. You're lucky all that man did was rape you.'_

'_You're lucky, he didn't kill you. He easily could have.'_

'_You're lucky, he didn't have any STDs, you could have AIDS now if he did.'_

"_You're lucky all he did was get you pregnant.'_

I heard the voices from several people back home say. The first sentence was something the psychiatrist I had seen back home had told me my first or second visit to him. Their voices filled my head as I made my way to work. I couldn't believe how many times I was told I was "lucky". I was "lucky" to get raped, I was "lucky" he didn't kill me. Death seemed more kind than this hellish life. No rape victim should ever be told they were "lucky".

'_My gosh; I am so schizophrenic.' _I thought as entered the café which that sat inside the huge library. I put my things in my small locker back in the employee section of the café before being told to take my place as the cashier.

15 minutes and 10 customers later my brown eyes met familiar blue ones.

"Ah Miss Higham." Dr. Crane greeted me, once he realized who I was.

"Dr. Crane." I nodded. "What can I get for you?"

"A number 5, extra mushrooms and cheese with a large coke, please." He stated.

"Of course." I said, pushing the buttons on the register. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, you can be at my office by 8 o'clock sharp tomorrow morning." He informed me.

"Sir?" I questioned, confused.

"As my new secretary, I expect you to be at my office tomorrow, 8 am sharp. You said you were punctual, I expect you to come through." He explained. My eyes brightened as I realized I got the job.

"Of course, thank you, doctor. I promise I will do my best." I happily said.

"Good." He stated. He left after he had paid for and received his order. Things were looking up ever so slightly.

'_Maybe now I won't have enough time to listen to the voices in my head.'_ I thought. _'Maybe, I won't have enough time to remember.'_

'_You will always remember.' _a voice replied,_ 'It will consume you like a flame consuming a field until the day you die.'_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: _Thanks to those who are following my story and a special thanks to Tonya M. for reviewing! Thanks! I appreciate it! Anyway, I will let you get on to chapter 2. I hope you will enjoy it. Please review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome.-Lin_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, Karl Finch or any other Batman characters. Only my OCs.  
_

_...  
_

_**Chapter 2**  
_

**Olivia's P.O.V (continued)**

Once I was home from work, I searched my little one bedroom apartment. I needed to make sure I was alone before I could relax. After I had searched the front room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, started to cook a bag of chicken flavored ramen noodles when I heard a knock on the door.

My heart started to speed slightly; I wasn't expecting any company and didn't know very many people in Gotham. Once I had made my way to the door, I looked through the peephole to see a familiar, friendly face.

"Hey Liv; how's my favorite cousin doing?" the man said, after I had opened the door for him.

"Karl." I smiled, giving him a small hug.

"How are you doing?" Karl Finch, my cousin and new DA for Gotham City, repeated. Karl was probably the main reason my family felt safe with me coming to Gotham. I didn't need a babysitter but Karl was someone my parents felt like they could trust me with.

Before I came to Gotham my parents made me agree to stay with Karl during my stay here. Once I actually came to Gotham, I stayed with him for maybe a week before finding and moving into my own apartment. I came out here so I could learn to depend on myself. I wanted to be able to meet my own needs; I didn't want to depend on anyone else.

'_You will always be a victim. You can't do anything but leech off of everyone else. You couldn't even give your child the most basic of needs. You are worthless.'_ I heard the voice sneer.

"I'm doing alright, just working. Classes will start within the week, so I'm looking forward to that." I told him, trying to ignore the voice in my head. "Oh and I got another job so that will help keep my mind off of certain things."

"You know if you ever need anything, I'm only a call away." My cousin offered. He knew about the rape and the aftermath and I'm sure my parents had asked him to keep an eye on me.

"Thanks but I'm alright." I told him.

"Are you really alright? You look rough and drained. Are you eating enough? You look anorexic." Karl inquired.

"Karl, you're my cousin, not my father. You're not responsible for me, I am."

"I know but.."

"But nothing, I can take care of myself. I promise I will let you know if I need you."

…

_{Dream}_

"_Miss…are you alright?" I heard a man's voice say. I tried to answer him but I couldn't find my voice. I was lying there in the street naked and exposed for everyone to see. I felt as if all the bones in my body been grinded into small fine particles by a large rock. It didn't matter how I tried to move, my body was sore, bruised and broken. _

"_Don't worry ma'am. I'm going to call 911." This "Good Samaritan" said. I flinched as he touched me. I could hear him speaking with someone on the other line but the words didn't register. Why was it, I could only receive help after the act had been done? Why hadn't anyone come to aid when I screamed for help? This wasn't a vacant lot, where no one dared to enter. This was a public parking lot filled with several people. How could no one have noticed my cries for help? Or did they notice and not care? _

"_An ambulance is coming, Miss. You're going to be alright." _

_{Dream End}_

I woke up in a cold sweat. Why was I being forced to relive these moments over again and why was I so spooked by this particular memory? The man who had cared enough to help me had only been kind to me. There was an eerie feeling around that memory and I couldn't figure out why.

'_Would you rather relieve the day your daughter was born?'_ a man's voice threatened. I jumped, thinking someone was in the room with me. My eyes darted around the room, trying to determine if someone really was in the room with me or if it was the voice.

I went to turn on the touch lamp next to my bed but paused. The light couldn't save me, it didn't that day. Why would it help me now? My arm slowly fell back to my side in defeat. The darkness was safer, the darkness was my only protector and the darkness was my friend.

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

'_Well, it looks like Miss Higham is as punctual as she said.' _I thought as I saw my new secretary waiting for me in front of my office door. _'Now it's time to see if she can handle working for me.'_

"Good morning, Dr. Crane." She greeted me once I reached her. I nodded and returned the 'good morning'. I unlocked the door and went inside, followed by Miss Higham.

"Alright, Miss Higham, here is your desk. My previous secretary passed away so you can put all her things in a box and place it in the corner. Her family will come to get her things at some point." I told her showing her an extremely messy desk. I noticed her eye twitch, before I remembered she said she was OCD. The huge mess must be driving her mind crazy.

"Your previous secretary wasn't a very organized person." She commented before going behind the desk. I watched as she quickly went to work, organizing and Lysol cleaning everything in sight.

'_She wasn't kidding about being OCD._' I though before going inside the room I claimed as my office. Once I had set my briefcase on my desk, I sat down and went to work. Classes would be starting up within the next week and I needed to get everything ready.

"Miss Higham." I called from my desk. I heard some shuffling going on outside my door before the girl appeared.

"Yes sir." She answered.

"I need you to print off my schedule for the next week. I also need your class schedule so I know what hours to expect you for work." I told her.

"Anything else?" she questioned. I thought for a moment before answering her question.

"Just a word of advice, students and faculty will be arriving on campus within the next few days. Once classes start, things will get hectic and I will need you to stay at your desk as much as possible. Students will be calling wanting appointments and it is our job to make sure those who need help get it, understand?" I asked her. I didn't care for those who attended class here at Gotham University but I could lose my license, job and reputation if anything went askew.

"Of course sir, I will make sure that those who need your help with get it." She told me.

"Good, you may go." I dismissed her. She nodded before going back to her small desk. I heard the computer turn on before I heard more papers being shuffled around. Clearly, she was still organizing and cleaning things.

'Maybe you need to prescribe her something.' Scarecrow suggested.

"She's not crazy; she's just a clean freak. This is a trait that will be to our advantage. Mrs. Peirce was a great secretary but she always put paper into piles. She could never remember where she put things. Miss Higham's OCD will ensure that we can find any important documents." I answered my companion.

When Miss Higham brought in the schedules I had asked her for, I quickly glanced through them. Her hours matched mine, so that wouldn't be a problem. It took me a moment before I realized she was in one of my classes.

'_This will be interesting; I've never had an employee as a student before. Maybe I can figure out why her grades were lacking back in North Dakota.'_ I thought.

"What do you have planned for her?" Scarecrow asked.

"Nothing, she's just my very OCD secretary." I answered. I had other more important things to take care of, this woman was nothing.

**Olivia's P.O.V**

'_Oh my God, how to people allow messes to get like this?!'_ My mind shrieked as I quickly lysoled everything in sight. _'This is so gross.'_

"_This is how normal people live, you're just a freak."_ The voice informed me. I tried to ignore him while I continued to clean.

Once the computer was up and running I clicked on the computer program and printed off Dr. Crane's schedule as he had asked me to. After I had that printed off I printed off my schedule from the University's website and walked back to Dr. Crane's door.

"Where would you like these?" I asked him. He was studying a paper on his desk but reached out his hand to take the documents.

"That will be all for now, Miss Higham." Dr. Crane told me, letting me know I could leave the room.

I went back to my new, small desk and finished cleaning everything off of it. Anything that looked like it belonged to the last secretary was neatly organized into a box. Once everything was in its place and neatly organized, I clicked through some programs on the computer to make sure I was completely familiar with the contents and I could navigate my way through them.

"This is for you. Mrs. Peirce wrote this up in case she got sick and couldn't train her sub for me. This will tell you exactly how to run my office. I expect you to memorize this and run things as smoothly as she did." Dr. Crane said, throwing a folder on to my desk, slightly messing up what I had just organized.

"I will read it now." I said as I quickly put everything back in its place. _'Damn I really am a freak.' _I thought as I watched the actions my hands performed.

"Miss Higham, have you seen someone to help with your OCD?" Dr. Crane asked after I finished putting things back to the way I had them.

"I did back in North Dakota. I promise, when it comes to my OCD, I have things under control." I answered. He nodded and made his way back into his office.

…..

"So how was your first day at your new job?" Karl asked me as we sat in a small restaurant, waiting for the waitress to bring out our food.

"It was alright. Nothing too eventful happened." I answered. Working for Dr. Crane, wasn't a fun job but I knew that before I got the job.

"How are you? Are you still doing alright?" Karl questioned.

"Yep, I'm still the same as ever." I told him just as our food arrived. I mostly picked at my food.

"For someone who claimed she needed a second job so she could afford better food, you sure don't eat a lot." Karl commented.

"I know, it's just been hard to have an appetite since…" I trailed off. I wasn't trying to starve myself; I just had a hard time eating. I didn't just need the job for food; I need the job to help me forget.

"What happened wasn't your fault." Karl stated. I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

"There times I wake up in the middle of night, reliving the memories." I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Liv, I think you need to see someone. This Dr. Crane, you're working for, he's a Psychiatrist. Maybe you need to schedule an appointment to talk to him about this." Karl suggested.

"I'm not getting help from my boss for this. Besides I tried the whole therapy thing; it didn't work me back home, why would it work here?" I questioned.

"You can't continue to let this guilt overwhelm you. You're going to kill yourself if you keep going down this road." Karl warned.

I knew he was right but Dr. Crane was my boss, it just didn't seem ethical to go to him for help on personal matters. Besides, I doubt he would even care.

"I'll look into some other psychiatrists if it will help you feel better." I told Karl. I had no intention of doing so but I could at least put his mind at ease.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: _Thanks to everyone who is reading and following my story. Special thanks to corbsxx for reviewing! I appreciate it! I hope you all will continue to enjoy my story. Its been a lot of fun to write. Please leave a review if you have a moment. I always appreciate feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again everyone!-Lin_

...

_**Chapter 3**_

"Dr. Crane's office, this is Olivia, how may I help you?" I asked into the phone. A few days had passed since I started working for Dr. Crane. Today was the first day of class and, as he had told me, things were hectic. The second I had finished with a call, the phone would start to ring again or someone would come into the office, needing to talk with Dr. Crane or wanting an appointment.

'_Good grief, is he the only psychiatrist on campus?_' I thought as I looked down at Dr. Crane's very full schedule.

'_Maybe you should schedule a time to meet with him. Then he could help you know how pointless your life is.'_ The voice said.

"Oh good grief shut up." I told it. I didn't have time for that, I had to keep busy. It's why I was starting to do a bit better.

Once I finished with that last phone call, Dr. Crane came out of his office with a pile of books in his hand.

"Miss Higham, are you ready to head to class?" he asked me, taking his keys out of his pocket. I looked up at the clock and realized I did have a class this hour. I grabbed my book bag and made my way out the door.

"See you after class." I waved to Dr. Crane before walking out of the room. I wanted to make sure to get to the classroom while there were still some seats close to the front left.

I sat in a desk on the front row. I was a very visual learner and couldn't afford to miss anything the teacher may write or demonstrate. I had just taken out my slightly beat up lap top when Dr. Crane came into the room. I looked at him confused as he took his place at the front of the room. He took out a pile of papers and started handing them out to each of the students. Once he got to me he greeted me with his normal "Miss. Higham".

"You look surprised." He observed with a smirk.

"I am. I didn't realize I was taking a class from you." I answered. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed that "small" detail. This was going to be an interesting experience. Dr. Crane was my boss and my professor; I hadn't been in this position before.

I had wanted to avoid this class. I had enough fear going throughout my mind and body. I didn't need it enhanced. However, my academic counselor strongly recommended taking it now and getting it over with.

Once he finished handing out the syllabus for the class, Dr. Crane started by giving the class a small introduction to the course, went over grading, assignments, tests, and other things that were fairly normal on the first day of class.

"Next class period I will assign each of you a phobia to research throughout the semester. You will be expected to…." Dr. Crane went on. Once he finished with the introduction to the class, he immediately dived into the lesson material. He was as serious in class as he was while I worked for him. This wasn't going to be an easy course but it would be worth it…hopefully.

….

"So what did you think of my class?" Dr. Crane asked as we walked back to his office. He had been very passionate while he discussed the history of fears. He was obviously very intelligent, he seemed to pour out information as he taught the class. I knew I would have to work hard but I could learn a lot from him.

"I thought it was interesting. Are phobias your specialty?" I questioned, keeping the small talk going. This was the first time we had talked on a somewhat personal topic. Between faxing documents, making copies of papers he would need for his classes and the phones constantly ringing, we were both very busy.

"Psycho-pharmacology is my specialty but I do have an emphasis in phobias." He answered, before he started to unlock the door to his office.

"Psycho-pharmacology? So you probably don't see a lot of rape victims?" I questioned, wondering what kind of clients he took on here at the university. I couldn't help but wonder if I would meet any other rape victims while working for him.

"I take on whatever the students here give me but no. I have only seen handful of those. Is that what you're planning on doing? Working with rape victims?" He inquired. Based on his body language, I could tell he didn't really care about what I had to say. He was just keeping the small talk going.

"I've thought about it." I answered. Honestly, I wasn't here to help anyone. I was studying psychology so I could have a better chance at understanding my own mind. I wanted to know why there was that deep, haunting voice in my head and how I could get rid of it.

'_Good luck with that; you're too stupid to ever figure that out.'_ The voice told me. For a moment a vision of the rape flashed before my eyes. I could almost feel the man on top of me again. I put my hand to my head hoping I could get the hallucination to disappear before Dr. Crane noticed something was up.

Once the door was unlocked Dr. Crane made his way to his desk, letting me know our conversation was over. I went behind my desk started to listen to the voice messages when Karl showed up.

"Hey Karl, what are you doing here?" I greeted him before turning the machine off so I could talk to him.

"I was just in the neighborhood and decided to visit you. How did your first day of classes go?" he asked.

"Pretty good. They're going to keep me busy which is what I want." I answered. Karl went to reply when Dr. Crane called for me.

"I think I need to get back to work. I'll see you later though." I told him.

"Before I go, your mother keeps calling me and telling me that you're not answering your phone. Please call her so she'll stop harassing me." Karl scolded slightly.

"Fine I'll call her.' I said.

"Good, I'll see you later." He told me before walking out of the room.

"Miss Higham." Dr. Crane said coming into the room just in time to see Karl leave. He paused for a moment before he continued.

"Miss Higham, I'd prefer it if you were to keep your personal life out of my office. The last thing I need if for your boyfriend to come around here, disrupting our work." He lectured.

"I understand. For the record, Karl isn't my boyfriend, he's my cousin. I don't even want to date so I don't think you'll have to worry about anything like that." I replied. The idea of dating made me shutter. I knew there were good men out there but I had lost my virginity in a very brutal, ugly way. I couldn't imagine ever having sex willingly after that. I never wanted to be touched in such a way again.

Dr. Crane looked at me a bit surprised but didn't press the matter. He just handed me a few papers to copy for one of his classes and went back into his office. That was the advantage of having a boss who didn't care. I didn't have to explain myself to him and I liked that.

….

'_Damn that was a rough night.'_ I groggily thought as I sorted through Dr. Crane's mail. The dreams were becoming more vivid and I was getting less sleep. Last night I had dreamt about her, my daughter, the only good thing that came from the rape. I was still shaken from that dream. The memory hit me like a stone hitting a bird, hard and unkind.

'_You should just finish it.'_ The voice told me.

"Finish what?" I asked.

'_You know what. That scar on your arm is proof of what you truly want. Just do it, you aren't worth the air you breathe.' _He mocked. Memories of my daughter's birth ran through my head and the feelings of self-loathing started to creep up on me, like a snake stalking a mouse. I shook my head and stood up to get a drink of water. I was feeling dizzy and weak.

'_Damn, I really shouldn't have skipped breakfast this morning.'_ I thought. I was just barely passed my desk when I lost the support of my legs.

"Miss Higham." I heard Dr. Crane call.

I gasped as I hit the floor and welcomed the darkness.

…..

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

"Miss Higham." I called. I waited for a moment; she was usually right at my door. Miss Higham, was a good "dog". She came when called and did what she was told without complaint. She was a good secretary and ran my chaotic office smoothly. She was quiet and reserved, which meant I didn't have to worry about gossip or boyfriends in my office. Yep, she's a good dog.

'_Where is she?'_ I thought before standing up and walking out of my office.

"Miss Higham, I…" I started when I noticed her, lying on the floor in front of her desk. I went to go get some smelling salt when she started to stir. I knelt down next to her and waited for her to become fully aware of her surroundings.

"Taking a nap Miss Higham?" I questioned as she looked around the room. Her eyes met mine before she put a hand to her head.

"I'm sorry Dr. Crane. I was feeling a bit dehydrated and went to get some water. I guess I, waited a little too long." She answered. I wasn't impressed with her answer but stood up and help her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. Something was bothering her and whatever it was had her quite spooked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a rough night and I'm a little out of it." She answered. I nodded but was unconvinced. Chances were it was something stupid and unimportant but if it was something serious that needed attention, I wanted to know. Things wouldn't look too good to my boss if I couldn't even handle my secretary.

"Is something going on?" I questioned before noticing the long scar on her arm. Based on the scar, the cut must have been deep and purposely inflicted. I went to ask her about it when she started to speak.

"No. I'm ok.I'm sorry Dr. Crane, I'll get back to work." She said before grabbing a cup of water and going back to her desk. She looked like she was having some kind of internal battle and it looked like she was losing.

"Miss Higham." I started, "do you remember when I told you my job is to help those who need it?"

"Yes." She answered.

"That includes you." I informed her. She thought for a moment, for a second it looked like she was going to tell me what was going on inside her head but she decided against it.

"Thank you Dr. Crane but I can take care of myself." Miss Higham told me. That statement was clearly untrue. She looked like she had lost weight in the short amount of time she had started working for me. She looked rougher every day.

'_Great, I hired an anorexic, depressed, Barbie wannabe.'_ I thought before nodding to her and going back into my office. I was going to get inside her mind and figure out what was going on. I wasn't losing my job over her nonsense.

…

It was 11:30 at night; I was at my apartment working on a lesson plan for one of my classes when I heard a knock on my door.

"I didn't know you were expecting company." Scarecrow stated.

"I'm not." I answered before standing up from my desk and going into my front room. Once I reached the door I looked through the peephole to see Miss Higham. I opened it, wondering what she was doing here and how she knew where I lived.

She had started to walk off, when I had opened the door. She looked nervous as she turned to me.

"Dr. Crane, I'm sorry, I got your address from the school. I…I'll go." She said before she tried to walk off.

"Miss Higham." I called, she came here for a reason and I wasn't about to let her just walk away. If she were to leave and hurt herself, I could be held responsible. "What do you need?"

She looked to the ground before walking back over to me.

"You said if I ever needed help…" she started to say, her eyes looking at me for a second. I nodded at her to continue. Another moment passed before she held up her hand. It was badly bandaged and I could see blood starting to seep through the wrap.

"Come in." I said. I needed to get a good look at her cut and I couldn't do that out here. This girl was starting to be more trouble than she was worth.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **_Thanks to everyone to who following my story! And a special thanks to PlaguingYourDreams for reviewing. I appreciate it and hope you all will continue to enjoy my story. Here is the next chapter, I hope you will enjoy it! Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thank!-Lin_**  
**

**...  
**

_Chapter 4**  
**_

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V (continued)**

Once Miss Higham was inside, I had her uncover her wound. When she had it unwrapped, I grabbed my supplies and started to clean out the cut.

"It's a long cut but it doesn't look deep enough to need stitches. You're bleeding a bit more than I'd like but I'll finish cleaning it out and wrap it properly. Hopefully compressing it will stop the bleeding." I informed her after looking it over. It's a good thing she didn't need stitches; her skin was near paper-thin and it would have been difficult to stitch.

"So what happened?" I asked. I looked her arm over, the only other cut I could see was the one I had seen earlier. She didn't have the markings of a cutter but I needed to be sure she wasn't physically harming herself.

"I was cutting up a carrot to put in some soup and my hand slipped and got my other hand." She explained. I didn't know if she was telling the truth but I wasn't about to believe it where the cut was as long as it was.

"Why didn't you have your cousin take you to the emergency room? Why did you come here?" I inquired; going to the ER would have made more sense than coming here.

"Karl doesn't know and I would prefer it to stay that way." She answered.

"Why is that?"

"He worries enough as it is. I don't want to give him another reason to need to. Besides, he has my mother's phone number, if she found out; she'd come to Gotham and never leave. That wouldn't be helpful."

"You don't have a good relationship with your family?" I questioned.

"Oh, I do. They just don't think I can take care of myself. This could make it harder for them to believe I'm capable of doing so."

"Why do they think that?" I asked as I started to properly wrap her hand. I looked up at her before returning to my work. She was quiet for a moment.

"Something happened to me a couple of years ago and I had to lean on my parents for a while. I lost a lot of confidence and I wasn't in a good place mentally. Two years have passed and I think it's past time I learn how to stand on my own two feet again. They think me coming here will lead to something else happening and it scares them." She admitted.

I thought through what she had just told me. Between her grades falling and the fact she looked like she belonged in the grave, it obviously affected her greatly.

'So what do you think happened to her?' Scarecrow asked.

"I have no idea. She was probably really into appearances and someone called her fat. It's probably around the time her anorexia started." I replied.

'Why are you so convinced she's anorexic?' Scarecrow inquired.

"Look at her, it's obvious she doesn't eat or if she does it's the bare minimum she needs. If she wanted to tell me what happened she would have. If this cut was just an accident like she said it was then I have no reason to inquire her any further, well at least not tonight."

'So you don't think she's suicidal?'

"She's starving herself to death so she's obviously somewhat suicidal. I've had patients with eating disorders before, for now I'll need to try to subtly help her."

'That's not your normal approach.' Scarecrow stated.

"No but based off of what she just said she's not going to willingly accept help. I have to be subtle or it could cause her to withdraw deeper into her shell. If that happens it could reflect poorly on me." I explained.

"I'm sorry I came here so late. It's just, you're the only doctor I know in town and I figured it if it was serious you could easily tell me." She explained.

"Its fine Miss Higham. I was up anyway." I stated as I finished wrapping up her cut. "Well, that should take care of that. Is there anything else?"

"No, I don't think so. What do I owe you?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I'll just take it out of your salary." I told her.

"Ok," she nodded. "I should get going. Thank you for your help."

"No problem. Do you need me to walk you home?" I offered. It was late at night and the last thing this girl needed was a stalker. With how fragile she was, she would be an easy target for the creeps that lurked out there.

"I'm fine. I don't live far from here, so I'm not too worried." She explained. "Thanks again. I really do appreciate it."

I thought about it a little more before grabbing my keys.

"On second thought I think I will walk you home." I told her. She looked back at me surprised.

'What are you doing?' Scarecrow asked.

"Making sure she gets home safe and gaining her trust." I told him.

'Why?'

"If this girl goes out there by herself she could get raped and if I gain her trust I may not have to treat her eating disorder as discretely. Besides, she's a good secretary and replacing her would be a hassle."

"I'll be fine Dr. Crane, you don't have to…" Miss Higham started to say.

"Its fine Miss Higham." I interrupted her while I opened the door. Once I had locked my apartment we started our small walk to her apartment.

"So what phobia are you assigning to me in class tomorrow?" she started the small talk.

"I don't know; it'll be a random selection. I'll find out the same time you do." I informed her.

"Oh, I didn't think you were the type who liked surprises."

"I'm not. I have a computer program that will match the phobias up with each student. It usually gives me an interesting mix for when I start reading through papers and students start presenting their reports."

"I imagine reading about the same phobias would get boring after a while." She stated. I nodded in agreement.

"So besides helping rape victims, what do you think you'll do with your psychology degree?" I inquired, wondering what I would learn about her.

"I really haven't thought about it too much. I'm honestly hoping to understand my own mind. I don't understand a lot of what I think or why I think what I do. I know it's pathetic but there are times I'm afraid of myself." She confided. I was surprised she would share this with me. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that her anorexia was harmful and she wasn't denying it like I had seen many other people do.

"As a psychiatrist, I could help you with that." I offered. I didn't expect her to open up with me like she did and if I was lucky she would allow me to pick through the layers of her brain willingly.

"Thanks but I saw a psychiatrist back in North Dakota. The therapy didn't seem to help; in fact I would often leave sessions more confused than I had been originally. So, thank you for the offer but I'm not really interested in therapy." She declined. That was misfortunate but I knew the chance of her accepting my offer was slim.

"I promise, I will get help if I feel like I can't control things." She tried to assure me. "Besides, I've seen your schedule and you are booked for the next two months. I don't think you have the time."

"I can make time if you need it." I told her. I was still going to subtly treat her but the best way to gain her trust was to give her, her space.

"Well, we're here." Miss Higham announced as we approached the door. "Thanks for your help and for walking me home."

"Not at all, I'll see you tomorrow." I said as she unlocked her door.

"Ok, thank again. Good night."

"Night." With that Miss Higham smiled and closed the door.

'She is going to be a handful.' I thought as I made my way back to my apartment. I still had to finish that lesson plan and Miss Higham had set me back a good hour.

'She opened up to you more than I thought she would. What do you think is going on in her mind?' Scarecrow asked.

"She seems to know she's in a delicate place. I don't think she's in as much control as she thinks she is but I don't think she's going to hurt herself…at least not on purpose." I answered.

"What's your game plan?"

"I'll invite her to lunch tomorrow. I need to get a feel on her eating habits before I can decide on a course of action." I said.

…..

The next morning went on as normal. Miss Higham acted as if nothing had happened and between her classes and my office, she was busy. What she had said the night before kept racing through my mind. Normally I wouldn't do this but I knew what phobia I wanted to give her for her studies. She was afraid of herself and studying autophobia might benefit her.

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

'_You stupid girl, you should have cut yourself deeper. The pain will never end until you do.'_ The voice told me as I closed the door. I'm sure by now Dr. Crane knew something was up but he didn't press the matter. At least he cared enough to not dismiss me and then walk me home. He was a good man.

"Killing myself isn't going to do anyone any good." I answered the voice. If it wouldn't hurt Karl or my parents, I would quickly welcome death. The eternal darkness seemed friendly and kind, plus I would get what I deserved.

…

"So what's autophobia?" I asked Dr. Crane as we made our way back to his office.

During class he had assigned the students their phobias to study before he went on with his lecture. I had never realized how fascinating fear could be. Of course, Dr. Crane presented it in a very interesting and passionate way. It was only the second day of class but I actually looked forward to the next class period.

"Autophobia is the fear of being alone or the fear of oneself." He answered without hesitation. I paused for a moment, thinking back to the night before.

"I thought you said a computer decided what fears we got." I said confused.

"Normally it would but based off of what you said last night, I thought this phobia would interest you."

"Why would you make an exception for me?"

"I didn't. All I did was assign you a phobia that I thought would apply to your life. You're still expected to do the work." He answered calmly as we reached his office door.

"I was thinking we could get lunch together." Dr. Crane offered.

I was surprised by this suggestion. During our lunch break he would always close himself in his office and I would "eat" quietly at my desk.

"No offense, Dr. Crane but I'm not interested in dating anyone much less my boss/professor." I informed him.

"I'm not asking you out Miss Higham. I mean this strictly as a kind gesture, nothing more." He answered. I thought for a moment before agreeing.

Throughout lunch Dr. Crane watched me as we made our normal small talk. We mostly talked about the weather and some other dumb random things. I did my normal picking at my food, while taking a bite here or there.

After lunch we went back to the office and things went back to normal. He was in a therapy session with a student while I managed the office. It was actually a quiet afternoon so I pulled out some homework to keep me busy. I had been working on that for about 15 minutes when I got up to get a drink of water.

I was heading back to my desk when the mailman appeared.

"Hi." I greeted him confused. He had already stopped by that morning.

"Hi, I forgot a letter this morning, so I was just dropping it off." He explained with a goofy grin.

"Oh, thanks." I said taking the letter from him. The mailman, a guy named Boris, looked close to my age with red hair, green eyes and freckles spotted throughout his face. He winked at me before leaving the office.

'_Ok, that was weird.'_ I thought as I walked back to my desk. After another 45 minutes Dr. Crane's door opened and two men appeared. They talked for a second before the second man left.

"Miss Higham, I need you to make a copy of this document." Dr. Crane said handing me a paper.

"Ok." I said, taking the paper from him.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Oh its just some homework. I hope that's alright, nothing else was going on so I figured…." I started to say.

"It's fine Miss Higham. It's good to see someone actually doing the work and not whining about it." He interrupted.

I nodded and handed him his papers before going back to my homework. He stood there and watched me for a moment, reading through what I had written. After another moment he walked back into his office and got back to doing whatever it was he was doing.

I tried to focus on my homework but the voice was back. I looked over at the pair of scissors I had resting in the corner of my desk.

_'Do it. Its the only way to end the pain.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! Thanks so much to those who are following my story! Special thanks to Guest, PlaguingYourDreams and Megushie for your reviews! I appreciate the comments! :D Here is chapter 5, its a little shorter than I normally like but hopefully you'll still like it. Please leave a review if you like it and have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!-Lin_

_...  
_

**_Chapter 5_**

I stared at the scissors for a second before my bandaged hand reached for them. I felt the cool metal against my fingers as a small clank was heard from my opening them. I could see my reflection in the blade. I knew I looked rough and unhealthy; there was no point in denying that. I also knew I was slowly killing myself but I deserved this.

'_Do it Liv; end it.'_ I heard the voice say. I continued to stare at the blade a second longer before I moved it to my wrist. '_Do it._' I started to press the sharp edge against my wrist when I heard Dr. Crane calling my name. I jumped as I looked up hoping he hadn't caught me.

"Miss Higham, come here for a moment please." Dr. Crane's voice said from the other room. I stared back down at the blade in my hand. I quickly dropped it, realizing what had almost happened.

'_It's getting worse._' I thought before standing up from my desk and making my way into Dr. Crane's office.

"Yes sir?" I said as I reached his door.

"Come here, I want to check on your cut and make sure its healing properly." Dr. Crane told me while he glanced through some paper.

"Ok." I slowly said before walking over to him. A second passed before he looked up from his papers and reached his hand out to start unwrapping my hand.

"How has it been doing? Has it been hurting you at all?" he questioned.

"The only thing reminding me it's there is the wrap." I answered. It was only a few moments before he had the cut unwrapped and was looking it over. There was some dried blood but it looked normal.

"It looks like it's healing nicely." He said looking the cut over. "I don't think you need the wrap anymore."

"Well that's good news." I tried to smile. Dr. Crane nodded looking my arm over quickly, clearly looking for other cuts. I was lucky he didn't seem interested in my other hand otherwise he may have noticed the imprint from the scissors. I looked up at the clock and realized it was time for me to clock out of Dr. Crane's office and head to my other job.

"I need to get going. Is there anything else you need?" I questioned as he handed me the cloth that had wrapped my hand.

"I don't think so." He stated.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow; have a good evening." I said, before walking out of the room. I quickly turned off the computer and looked over to my desk, making sure everything was in its place. My eyes gazed across the desk when I saw the scissors.

'_You idiot, I've told you how your pain can end. I've even given you the simplest of instructions and you can't even follow that. How are you going to pay for what happened?'_ the voice asked. _'You were her mother, how could you allow that to happen?'_

…..

After work I met up with Karl for one of our normal get togethers. We would often have dinner together, usually at my apartment or at one of the little diners close by.

"So how is your search for a psychiatrist coming? Have you found someone you trust?" Karl questioned. I thought for a moment, I had forgotten I had told him I would search for one.

"Yes." I answered. I didn't consider Dr. Crane my psychiatrist but I did trust him and he did help me with my cut. I would easily go to him if I thought I needed help.

"Who are you going to?" he inquired. I wish he would just leave things alone and not press matters that weren't his business. That was one of the reasons I liked and trusted Dr. Crane, he didn't try to force information out of me.

"Dr. Crane." I answered. He looked at me surprised.

"I thought you said it was unethical to go to your boss for help on this?" he asked.

"I'm not going to him for therapy sessions but he is looking out for me. I'll go to him if or when I feel like I can't control things."

"Liv..."

"I'm ok Karl. I promise." I insisted.

"Then why do you have two new cuts?"

…..

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

A week passed since Miss Higham showed up at my doorstep. I had managed to convince her to have lunch with me every day since and I got pretty good feel for her eating habits, or lack thereof.

"Miss Higham, I don't mean to pry but is there something wrong with your food? You've hardly touched it." I commented, wondering what kind of reaction she would give me. I could tell she hated eating in public places, common for those with eating disorders so we were eating lunch in my office.

"Its fine. I'm just not very hungry." She answered. I thought for a moment trying to decide which course of action to take. I didn't want to lose what credibility I had with her but I wanted to know why she wasn't "very hungry". She seemed to play with her food, twirling it around the plate like a ballerina, while we would talk.

"If I may, you haven't seemed to touch your food all week. Is there something going on?" I asked. She looked uncomfortable about this topic as I had seen other patients with her condition be.

"No, I'm alright. I'm just not a lunch person and it hurts to eat." She stated before she looked away. I nodded not wanting to push her to the point of losing her trust. She managed to take a few bites before she set her fork down. It did seem to pain her to take those few bites but I couldn't tell if it was physical or mental pain.

We sat in silence for a couple minutes before she put her lunch away and got out her book bag.

"I need to get to class. I'll see you in an hour." She smiled before she stood up and went to leave the room.

"Miss Higham."I called to her. She turned and looked at me. She was nervous, probably expecting to hear a lecture on her eating habits.

"Miss Higham if you ever need to talk, please call me." I told her. Telling her she was going to die if she didn't eat more wasn't going to solve anything in fact it would probably just reinforce what she was doing. At this point the best thing I could do is encourage her to eat more and be there for her if she needed it.

…

A few more weeks passed and things were as busy as ever. Midterms were starting to creep up on us and when Miss Higham wasn't in class or managing my office she was at her desk studying. It was somewhat refreshing to see a student as work as hard as she was. She kept telling me she liked to keep busy, that it kept her mind off of "things".

I didn't understand why her grades were so low back in North Dakota until I had given out the first test in my class. It seemed, despite the hard studying she would do, she may have a test anxiety problem. Forgetfulness was a sign of anorexia, so it could easily be that as well.

I was able to get her to eat a little more everyday but it was getting to a point where I would have to become more aggressive in her treatment. Her pale skin was fragile and starting to turn a yellowish color. She was constantly sitting down due to headaches and she had managed to lose some more weight despite my subtle help.

"I know the way I eat isn't normal or healthy and it is a disorder. I just don't see the point of trying to help it." She told me as we talked during lunch. It seemed having lunch together had become a common occurrence for us.

"You don't want to get better?" I asked her.

"I don't have a reason to want to get better. The anorexia isn't hurting anyone but me; I don't understand why people are so concerned about it." She replied. The fact she could speak about this with such apathy worried me.

She seemed to swing back and forth, almost courting, flirting with the idea of death. There was a side of her that wanted to welcome death yet there was a part of her mind that wanted to live. I thought for a moment trying to decide my course of action, I needed to tap into the side that wanted to live. If I let her continue on much further she'd end up in the hospital. I didn't want it to get that far.

"Miss Higham, if I may, what exactly started your anorexia?" I questioned. She went to say something when her phone went off.

"Its my mother, I should answer this or she'll call Karl and he'll lecture me. Sorry." She said before standing up and leaving my office.

'I don't think she's that sorry.' Scarecrow observed.

"She's not; she doesn't want to answer that question. Whatever happened to her it's not something she likes to talk about." I answered him. The fact that she wouldn't talk about what had happened to her didn't help me either. I needed to know the roots of her problem or it would only spread and devour her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! Thanks to everyone who are reading/following my story! I hope you all will continue to enjoy it! :D Special thanks to forgetmenotflowers, Guest and Hench-Girl95 for reviewing!_

**forgetmenotflowers**-_haha your comment made me smile. I don't think I had ever heard of a 'moar monster' before. haha! We start finding out more about Olivia's past in this chapter. (I have a bad attention span too. Its not fun when you're trying to update stories.) :D_

**Guest**-_Thanks for the comment. This chapter is my more normal size so hopefully you'll like the length of this chapter a bit better. From this point on out things will start moving a bit quicker between Olivia and Dr. Crane. I just don't want things to move..to fast? Thanks for your comments and feedback, I appreciate it! :D_

**Hench-Girl95-** _Hey! I'm glad you found time to read my story. Hope all is well with you and that you'll enjoy the story. :D_

_Thanks again to those who reviewed! I appreciate the comments and will try to reply to them. Anyway, here is chapter 6, I hope you all will enjoy it. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again!-Lin_

...

_C__hapter 6_

"Hey Dr. Crane do you have a minute?" I asked as he came into the room. A few weeks had passed since the scissor incident happened. My friendship with Dr. Crane was starting to grow. I wasn't sure how he had managed it but he had been able to talk me into having lunch with him for a few weeks now. He had even managed to convince me to eat a bit more. I was starting to really like him. Dr. Crane was still as busy as ever but he always took time out of his schedule for me. I had never seen a therapist do that before.

"What do you need?" he asked walking over to my desk.

"I don't understand this problem. Could you explain it to me?" I asked referring to a question I had for homework. Dr. Crane put the stack of books he had been carrying on my desk before coming over to my side of the desk. He put his arm around the back of my chair when I started to feel cornered. I put my hand up trying to block him and stood up.

"Miss Higham?" Dr. Crane asked confused. I quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." I told him before dashing around him and out the door.I knew he was only trying to help me but my mind panicked and I had to get out of there fast. Dr. Crane tried to talk to me about it later, when I had come back after getting some fresh air. I apologized for it and went back to work.

...

I couldn't believe I had run out of Dr. Crane's office like that. I was quickly starting to lose control of my mind and body.

I felt the tears pour from my eyes while I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a frizzled mess as my make up was smeared across my face. It was late at night and I hadn't been home for an hour when the voice started to act up.

"_Do it Liv, end it now!"_ The voice demanded in a deep demonic voice.

"No, no, no, no…." I repeated, screaming it as I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked down at the razor in my hand and cut my arm swiftly and smoothly. My body shook for a moment before the psychotic episode I had been experiencing started to die down.

After a few minutes of heaving breathing, I was able to catch my breath. I looked around the room before my eyes spotted the large cut on my arm.

'_Oh my god.'_ I thought as I grabbed a hand towel hoping to stop the bleeding. '_I'm killing myself.'_ I had always known with the anorexia I was killing myself but for some reason the realization of it hit me like a car. I was in trouble and I needed help.

Once I managed to tape the towel around my arm, I quickly grabbed anything and everything that had a sharp end. It didn't take me long before I had everything in a large box. All my kitchen knives, razors or any dumb random thing I thought I could hurt myself were included in this box. I looked down at my arm to see the blood had started to stain the towel. I picked up the box and walked out of my apartment door. I knew it was late but I needed help. I was scared. It was time to tell Dr. Crane everything or else I was going to do something that would hurt the people I love.

….

When I made it to Dr. Crane's door, I stood there for a moment hesitating.

'_Maybe I should just go home, I seem calm now.'_ I thought. I shook my head and raised my hand up to Dr. Crane's door, knocking on it. I waited a few moments before the door opened.

"Miss Higham?" Dr. Crane asked, looking me over. It was then I realized I must look like a complete wreck; I didn't bother trying to fix my hair or anything. "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked concerned. It took me a moment to muster up the courage to say anything; I shifted the box in my hand and held up my arm.

"Can I come in?" I asked a bit hoarsely. He looked at the blood stained towel for a brief moment before he nodded and stepped aside so I could enter his apartment. Once inside I handed him the box I had placed everything in.

"I don't think I can be trusted with these anymore." I told him. He looked inside the box, his eye brows rising slightly when he realized what was inside.

"Taka a seat, I'll go grab my supply and clean that cut out." Dr. Crane said before leaving the room. I sat down on his couch and looked around the room for a moment before my eyes rested on the floor. Within a minute Dr. Crane was back in the room. I held out my arm and he started to un-tape the towel.

"This is pretty deep Miss Higham; I'm not sure I can stitch this up here." He told me after looking the cut over. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked as he started to clean the cut out. His eyes met mine for a second; he had a worried look in his eyes something I hadn't seen before.

I took in a deep breath, I hated talking about this but the only way things were going to get better is if I told him everything. The tears started to form in my eyes again. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out for a minute.

"Two…" My voice stumbled, I didn't feel ready to talk about it but I had to. Things were getting too scary and I couldn't avoid this any longer. Dr. Crane noticed my tears and grabbed a box of tissues. He handed me a tissue before putting the box on the mocha colored coffee table in front of us.

"It's alright, Olivia, just take your time." He softly said as he put a hand on my shoulder before he went back to my cut. I wasn't use to that, he had never called me Olivia before and he wasn't a "touchy" person. His small touch seemed to comfort me and I waited a moment for the tears to die down.

"They say when it happens it happens so fast that you can't remember details. For me it happened slowly and I remember every gruesome detail, the pain and the fear." I started to aimlessly say. He was focused on the cut but looked up to me occasionally.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Two years ago, I decided to skip a class and go see a movie with a friend. We were supposed to meet at the theater and have a fun, lazy day. The theater had a massive parking lot it shared with a….m-mall." I stuttered hoping I was making some sense with my words. Everything seemed so scattered in my brain I had a hard time trying to put sentences together.

"I had just parked my car and was on my way to the theater when a man stopped me. He told me he had a flat tire and asked me if I had a cell phone he could use. He had a slur to his speech but being naïve and trusting I just smiled and turned to grab my cell phone. He grabbed me, threw me against his truck before he shoved me inside.

"I screamed for help but he shut the door to his truck and…started to take our clothes off. I kept trying to scream for help but no one heard or bothered to help if they did hear. The man slapped me and told me to shut up before he… started raping me. I kept screaming, hoping someone would hear me and help but he just slapped me again before continuing on." My voice shook as I tried to tell him what had happened. I wasn't sure if I was making any sense to him. I barely made sense of it.

Dr. Crane had finished cleaning out my cut when he pressed the cut with one hand, placed his other hand in mine and gave it a small squeeze. His eyes met mine, letting me know he was listening.

"When he was done he didn't even try to cover me up. He just shoved me out of his truck like an old sock and quickly sped away. I'm not sure how long I was lying in the parking lot when someone cared enough to help me. An ambulance was called and I was quickly taken to the hospital, where they did a rape kit and everything else they do." I continued.

"Did they ever catch your rapist?" Dr. Crane asked. I shook my head.

"No." I answered quietly. We sat in silence for a few minutes until Dr. Crane finished with the stitches. He covered it up with a sanitation patch before his hands reached for mine, giving them another small squeeze.

"I'm going to go get you a glass of water and a blanket. Normally, I wouldn't do this but I think you need to stay here tonight. When I come back we can talk some more, alright?" he asked. I nodded. I was relieved I had finally told him about the rape; however the voice was still inside my head telling me how the whole thing was my fault.

It only took a couple of minutes before Dr. Crane was back in his front room with me. He handed me the blanket and once I had that wrapped around me, he handed me the water.

….

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

What ever had happened to Olivia...Miss Higham was physical. I could tell by the way she ran out of my office this afternoon. I didn't realize placing my hand on the back of her chair would cause such a reaction. She had probably felt cornered or trapped.

'You like her.' Scarecrow mocked as I sat at my desk, trying to concentrate on grading some papers.

"What are you babbling on about now?" I asked.

'Olivia…I mean "Miss Higham". You like her.' Scarecrow repeated.

"Yes I do like her. She's a hardworking secretary and student." I replied.

'Oh please, just ask her out already. You know you like her in more ways than that.' Scarecrow commented.

"I'm not going to take her out while she's my student, that unethical. Besides, she not interested in dating, she's told me that on several occasions."

'You could change her mind.'

"Stop trying to distort my thoughts and feeling about Olivia….Miss Higham. She is mentally ill, my student and secretary, there's nothing more to it than that." I told him.

I seemed to be making some progress with Olivia…Miss Higham. She had started to eat a bit more and it didn't look like she was losing weight by the day. There were days where she would liven up and I would get to see traces of who she must have been before the anorexia. It was nice to see that change but she was still going back and forth like a yoyo.

"I should probably add bipolar to her mental issues." I said out loud as I thought about it.

'You should ask her out.' Scarecrow suggested once again.

"No. She's my student, she's unstable, she's…."

'Why are you always thinking about her if you don't like her in that way? I don't remember you thinking about Mrs. Perice this much.'

I went to reply when I heard a knock on my door. I looked up at the clock to realize it was close to midnight. I stood up and made my way out of my office and to my front door. Once there I checked the peep hole to see a very distressed Olivia….argh Miss Higham.

'I told you, you like you." Scarecrow mocked.

"Shut up." I replied. I quickly opened the door, worried something had happened to her.

"Miss Higham?" I asked, looking her over trying to determine if she was in trouble. Her hair was a mess and it was obvious she had been crying. She looked horrible. "What happened? Are you alright?" I asked her concerned. She looked nervous before she shifted the box in her hand, showing me her arm.

"Can come in?" she asked as I glanced at her injured arm. I nodded and stepped aside letting her into the apartment. Once inside she handed me the box she had brought with her. I gave her a confused look before looking inside the box.

"I don't think I can be trusted with these anymore." She stated. I raised an eyebrow as I realized what was inside the box.

'She cut herself again.' I thought before setting the box down.

"Take a seat, I'll go grab my supply and clean that cut out." I told her before leaving the room. Once I had gathered what I needed I joined her back in my front room. I unwrapped the towel from her arm and got a good look at the cut.

"This is pretty deep Miss Higham; I'm not sure I can stitch it up here." I informed her. This cut was much deeper than the one she had come to me before. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" I asked her before I started to clean the cut out. My eyes met hers for a brief moment. I was worried about her but glad she trusted me enough to come to me tonight.

She took in a deep breath. I focused on her cut while she tried to decide how to tell me, whatever it was she needed to tell me.

"Two.."she started to say when her voice cracked. I looked back up to her and noticed she was starting to cry. I compressed her wound before grabbing a Kleenex box from one of my end tables. I handed her a tissue before placing the box on the coffee table. She looked like she was struggling.

"Its alright, Olivia, just take your time." I calmly said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. It was the first time I had called her by her first name verbally. I had been toying around with it in my mind for a while now but that seemed unimportant at this present time. I needed her to feel comfortable with me so she could tell me what she needed to. I listened closely, I was about to find out why she was anorexic.

"They say when it happens it happens so fast that you can't remember details. For me it happened slowly and I remember every gruesome detail, the pain and the fear." She started to say before becoming quiet.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her after a minute of silence. She waited another moment when she began her tale.

_'She was raped.'_ I thought as she told me about what had happened to her. This helped me understand her erratic behavior much better. She was punishing her body for what had happened to her.

Once I had finished cleaning her cut I compressed her cut again. I took her hand and gave it a small squeeze hoping to give her some comfort and to let her know I was listening to her. After a second I started to stitch her up as she told me about what had happened after the rape.

"Did they ever catch your rapist?" I asked trying to figure out where in the healing process she was. She shook her head.

"No." she answered quietly. We sat in silence as I continued to stitch her up. It wasn't easy but I had managed to get her thin skin to stitch together.

I looked her over, she wasn't in a condition to leave here tonight and she looked cold and tired. I thought for a moment before deciding what to do.

"I'm going to go get you a glass of water and a blanket. Normally, I wouldn't do this but I think you need to stay here tonight. When I come back we can talk some more, alright?" I questioned. She nodded, letting me know that was acceptable on her terms.

Once Olivia was covered in the blanket, I had given her and had taken a sip of her water the conversation started back up. Her condition made much more sense now that I knew about the rape.

"What happened is my fault." She stated, staring at the wall.

"No Olivia. What happened wasn't your fault, it was your rapist's. You can't blame yourself for what happened." I told her.

"I should have been in class...I.."

"That doesn't matter. What happened to you wasn't your fault. You need to stop punishing yourself for it. Its not fair.." I started to say when she interrupted me.

"Not fair to who? To me? No, I am getting what I deserve." She said as tears started to pour out of her eyes.

"Why do you think that?" I questioned. She was quiet for a moment as she continued to cry.

"My daughter." she answered simply. I was surprised but tried to hide it.

"The man that raped you got you pregnant?" I asked. She nodded.

"Do you mind if we talk about this later? I'd kind of like to try to sleep." she asked. I nodded.

"Of course Miss Higham. I will get you a pillow and we can talk more tomorrow, ok?" I questioned. She nodded and I stood up to get her a pillow.

"Dr. Crane." she said before I left the room. I turned to her. "Thank you." she said.

"Thank you for coming here tonight. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about what happened. I promise I will help you through this any way I can." I told her.

"Thank you for caring." she stated, before placing her hand hand grabbed mine, giving it a tight squeeze. I smiled and returned the gesture.

'So what do you think happened to her kid?' I heard Scarecrow ask as I went to grab Olivia a pillow.

"I don't know. She probably put the baby up for adoption and regrets it now. I have a feeling we'll find out tomorrow. For now, she needs a good night's sleep. I'll talk to her more tomorrow." I answered. Olivia's case was getting more tricky. I had treated anorexia and I had treated rape at different points of my career but never the two together. I'm sure it did happen more often than I had realized. It was going to take a long time for her to heal from this but the fact that she was here told me she wanted help.

"Are you alright?" I asked as she settled into my couch. She nodded.

"Thanks again, Dr. Crane. I really appreciate it." she answered.

"You know, when we're not at work or in class, you can call me Jonathan." I told her. She looked surprised but nodded.

"Good night Jonathan."

"Good night Olivia." With that I walked into my bedroom. I was in for a long night, I needed to come with with a game plan to help her get her life back.

'So you do like her?' Scarecrow cackled.

"Shut up."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry its taken me so long to update. I wanted to take little break from the story, try some exercises and see if I could increase the quality of my story to make it more enjoyable for everyone. Thanks to everyone who is following my story and a special thanks to those who have reviewed!  
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**forgetmenotflowers-**_haha! That is so funny, I love it! Your review_ definitely put a smile on my face. You have such a fun personality! :D**  
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**BlackRoseRed-**_Thank you for your review! I'm glad you are enjoying my story this far. The story begins before the Batman Begins movies but will go through all three movies._**  
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**Tonya_-_**_Thank you for yo__ur suggestions. I apologize for the lack of quality from the last chapter. I wrote it at 2 in the morning so I'm sure I was asking for a lot more mistakes than usual. I hope this chapter is more up to a quality standard. Its not in this chapter but in chapter 8 I will give more of Dr. Crane's background and explain the thought process in more depth. (Last chapter I was trying to bring a bit of humor to the chapter since it was more of a serious one and wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Maybe I chose the wrong way to go about it?) I agree, I don't see Dr. Crane as feminine at all and I think I understand what you were talking about. Hopefully I did a bit better in this chapter? He is definitely a cold and calculating guy, its one of the reasons I like him! :D I thought I had portrayed his helping relationship with Olivia in a way that explained his actions since he is helping her so he 1) doesn't lose his job and 2) he's starting to like her. However if I have to explain that in an author's note I'm not doing as good job as I liked at describing that in my story. I apologize and will strive to do better. Thanks again for your review! I appreciate the suggestions! :D__**  
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**auriellis- **_That was hilarious! haha, thanks for bringing that to my attention. :D**  
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**ZabuzasGirl-**_I'm so happy to see you found my new story. I hope you will enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed my previous story! :D**  
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**Hench-Girl95-**_I miss you girl! haha I was actually thinking of you as I wrote that part! I'm glad it made you laugh! :D_**  
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**xxyangxx2006-**_Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you are enjoying and my OC. I hope you will enjoy this chapter continue to enjoy my story! :D_**  
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**Hufflepuffsfind-**_Thanks for the review! Not in this chapter but Scarecrow will start coming out more in future chapters. I hope you will enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy my story. :D**  
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**Invisible-Ayla-**_Thanks for the review! I hope you will continue to enjoy my story. :D**  
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**I think I've addressed everyone, at least I hope so! :D Anyway, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter. There isn't too much action in it but it leads into chapter 8, which should be a very exciting chapter. :D I will try to have chapter 8 out quickly since it took me so long to get this chapter out. Anyway, please review if you have a moment! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks!-Lin  
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**Olivia's P.O.V**

_{Dream}_

"_What does it say?" my mother asked me as I held the positive pregnancy test in my hand. I held my breath for a moment not quite believing this news. _

"_Liv?" my mother questioned. _

"_I'm pregnant." I whispered turning back to her. Tears started to feel my eyes as I soaked in the fact that I was carrying my rapist's baby. _

_{End of Dream}_

My eyes shot open, I felt my heart race as I sat up. Daylight was starting to creep through the window and I realized I wasn't in my apartment. My eyes wandered around the room taking in my surroundings. I moved my arm when I felt a small sting. I looked down to see it was wrapped neatly before I remembered what had happened the night before. I had come to Dr. Crane's apartment last night after the voice nearly convinced me to commit suicide.

"It must have been quite the dream you were having." I heard a man's deep voice say. I jumped slightly and turned to see Dr. Crane.

"Dr. Crane." I greeted him. He nodded to me and walked to the other side of the couch and sat down.

"Would you care to talk about it?" he questioned.

"The dream?" I asked. He gave me another nod.

"It was just about the day I found out I was pregnant. I have dreams that are memory-like all the time." I said. My mind seemed more clear this morning than it had when I arrived here last night. I couldn't believe I had actually gone for help last night. I didn't want my boss to know I was crazy. Of course, with the anorexia, chances were he had already thought that.

"I'm sorry I bothered you Dr. Crane. I'll go." I said before going to stand up.

"Miss Higham, I can't let you leave until I'm confident you aren't a danger to yourself." Dr. Crane informed me before standing up himself.

"You can't keep me here." I stated, starting to feel a little trapped.

"I could have you admitted to the hospital and place you suicide watch if you'd prefer." He commented.

"I feel like you're trapping me." I said.

"I'm not trapping you; I'm telling you your options." He explained. I thought for a moment before sitting back down. It made sense he could lose his job and/or license if he were to let me leave and I did something stupid. In fact I was really lucky he hadn't taken me to the hospital last night. If he had taken be to the hospital the night before, Karl definitely would have been called and my parents would be on their way to Gotham. I really didn't want that.

"So what do we do then?" I questioned.

"Well, I want to get your previous psychiatrist's contact information so we can get your file sent out here, for me to look through. I want to meet with you weekly for therapy sessions, so when we go in for work on Monday I'll have you add yourself to my schedule." Dr. Crane said. "I'll need a list of any medications you are taking or have taken."

"I'm okay with that. What are we doing today then? What can I do to convince you to let me go home today?"

"Well its 8:30 in the morning and I know neither one of us has had breakfast. What do you say we go to the café half a block from here, get something to eat and then we can discuss where to go from there?" Dr. Crane suggested. He watched me as I thought a minute.

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom first?" I asked, knowing I didn't look very good and freshening up before leaving his apartment would be nice.

"Of course." He answered, before standing up.

…..

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

The night had been a long, almost sleepless one. I needed to stay alert enough that if Miss Higham tried to leave I could evaluate her and determine if she was sensible enough to be on her own.

'So what's the game plan?' Scarecrow asked.

"She doesn't want it but therapy and maybe some medication if she needs it." I answered.

'Not for her healing process, what's the game plan to get her into bed?'

"She's a rape victim; I'm positive that's the last thing she wants to do."

'She's vulnerable and will be easy to take advantage of.' Scarecrow told me. I had two different schemes in mind. I had already gained Olivia's trust now I had to keep her trust so I could treat her professionally. On the other hand, Scarecrow was right; Olivia was vulnerable and would be easy to take advantage of. I liked her and once she was no longer my student, I didn't mind the idea of being in a relationship with her. Olivia was broken and I only needed a few more pieces before I could build her up the way I wanted her.

I had to manipulate her mind, pick through it and discover what would be the best way to win her over. I had to get her to the point to where she thought she was in control and independent, when, in reality, she was dependent on me. If I could get her mind dependent on me, I would be able to dominate her, control her, own her and in the end I would win her and her affection.

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"Do you usually sleep with the lights on?" Dr. Crane asked me as we sat in his office for one of my therapy lessons. Two weeks passed since I went to Dr. Crane for help. I had spent the rest of the day with him as we talked about some about my background. By the end of the day I had managed to convince him to let me go home.

Therapy with Dr. Crane was very different than the therapy I had received back in North Dakota. My psychiatrist back home was a very feminine, overly positive type man. Those traits weren't necessarily a bad thing but I never felt like I could open up to him without being interrupted or judged.

Dr. Crane, on the other hand, was very professional and always let me tell him everything before he would offer a suggestion or ask another question. I never felt like he was judging me. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he thought through possible solutions. He was hard to read but it wasn't hard to see when he was thinking something through.

"Why would I sleep with the lights on?" I asked confused by his question.

"The few rape victims I have seen had a fear of the dark after their rape. I was wondering if it were a challenge you are facing?" he stated.

"No, that's actually never been a problem for me. I mean, the rape happened at 11 in the morning. If anything the light is more dangerous than the darkness. If I slept with the light on it would just make it easier for any creeps that may sneak into my apartment to see me. I find the dark far more comforting than the light." I answered him. Dr. Crane smirked at my answer before writing something down in his notebook.

"Did I say something funny?" I asked, noticing his smirk. He shook his head.

"No, I just haven't heard that rationalization before. Have the antidepressants been helping?" He questioned looking up from his notebook. Dr. Crane had given me a prescription for the drug the day after I spent the night at his apartment.

The voice had started to die down slightly with the antidepressants but I could still hear him. He was more of a whisper now and easier to ignore. I hadn't told Dr. Crane about the voice in my head. I'm sure he thought I was crazy without that small detail. I didn't need him to think I belonged in an asylum.

"I think so. I haven't tried to commit suicide since I started taking them. Of course you still have my kitchen knives, razors and other sharp things."

"How are things going with Dr. Barton?" he inquired. Dr. Barton was a dietician; Dr. Crane was having me meet with to help with the anorexia. Dr. Barton was a nice lady but she let me know the damage I was doing to my body very quickly. She came up with goals to help me get my weight back in a healthy way.

"I've gained 3 pounds in the last two weeks so she's been happy with that progress. It still hurts to eat but Dr. Barton told me with the proper nutrition and time that that should go away." I told him. He nodded, pleased with the report.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened with your daughter?" Dr. Crane questioned.

"I guess I can I just…" I started to say when he interrupted me.

"Then you're not ready; let's move on to something else." Dr. Crane didn't normally interrupt me but I was glad he did. It's not that I didn't want to tell him what had happened. I just didn't want to relive it.

_{Flashback}_

"_Did you want to know the baby's gender?" the ultrasound tech asked me. I looked to the couple I had chosen to adopt my child, wondering if they wanted to know. _

"_We'd like to know if it's alright with you." The woman, an Andrea, told me. _

"_It's fine with me." I answered. _

"_You are having a baby girl." The tech smiled before she continued to do the ultrasound. Everything looked perfect. _

_{End of Flashback}_

"Are you still dreaming about the rape?" Dr. Crane questioned as he looked back down to his notebook. I snapped out of the memory as I took in what he had just asked me.

"Not as much as they had been." I answered. "I've been able to sleep a lot better."

"You don't look as rough as you did when you first came here." He commented. The few therapy sessions I had, had with him were helping.

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

Two weeks passed since Olivia showed up at my door. In that time I had managed to convince her to have a few more therapy sessions with me than the once a week I had originally been planning. She told me about her family and some of her life back home. Olivia seemed much more relaxed since the therapy sessions had started.

Once the latest therapy session had ended and Olivia was back at her desk I looked through the file her previous psychiatrist had sent me. The file didn't give me many clues on what had happened with her pregnancy. It was mostly gibberish about how she needed to gain a positive attitude about what had happened. I didn't like her previous therapist. His notes didn't seem professional and he clearly had allowed his opinions to take over her sessions with him.

I had to be sneakier in my approach and my subtle-noninvasive approach seemed to be working with her.

…..

A couple more weeks passed, finals were approaching and my office was busier than usual. Olivia was doing a good job keeping up with everything. The more I met with Olivia the more she let me into her mind, which is what I wanted. I was starting to alter her thought process ever so slightly, it was going to take some time but the manipulation process was proceeding nicely.

I was in my office grading some papers when I heard my phone rang. I reached for my phone and looked at the caller I.D.

"Olivia?" I asked into the device.

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you had a minute. I want to talk to you about something." Her voice shook slightly. I was surprised she had called, in the past she had just come over.

"Its fine, why don't we meet at that café we went to a few weeks ago?" I suggested. There was silence for a small moment before Olivia agreed. Once we hung up, I made my way to meet Olivia. She hadn't come over to my place since the night she brought me all of her knives and other sharp objects.

'Looks like you have a date.' Scarecrow commented.

"This isn't a date." I stated making my way out of my apartment.

….

When I arrived at the Café Olivia was already there waiting to for me. She was playing with a cup of hot chocolate when I approached her table. She looked up as I reached her. There were tear stains on her face but she looked much more neat and in control than she had the last time I saw her at this time of night. She wasn't manic and that told me the therapy was working.

Olivia gave me a smile as I sat across from her.

"I'm sorry to bother you; it's just I had a dream and it seem so real and …" she started to say when I held my hand up.

"Its fine Miss Higham. What do you need?" I asked her.

"I'm worried if I don't tell you about this now I'll lose my nerve to talk about it. I guess the real healing can't begin until we do address this matter." She quietly said.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned.

"I'm ready to tell you about my daughter."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **_Hi everyone! Thanks so much to those of you who are following and favoriting my story. I appreciate it. And a special thanks to those who are reviewing!_**  
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**forgetmenotflowers**_-__hahaha I love your reviews and your personality! You make me laugh. So fun! :D_

**auriellis-**_ I hope you will see improvement with this chapter. I have a lot of ideas going through my head and things should start moving a lot faster after this chapter. Thanks again for the suggestions. :D  
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**AlainHotCoco1**-_Thanks so much for the review! I'm so glad you are enjoying my story. I hope you will continue to! :D_

_Well, here's chapter 8! I hope you will enjoy it even though its a sad one. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks!-Lin_

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**Olivia's P.O.V**

I felt awkward as I fidgeted around with the words I wanted to say. The dream I had, had amplified the voice, which scared me. I tried to ignore him but the more I tried the louder he got. He kept talking about her. I needed to talk about my daughter. I couldn't allow the memory to haunt me for the rest of my life; even if I deserved it.

My mind stumbled as I tried to think of the best way to tell Dr. Crane what had happened. I thought a moment longer before I reached into my purse. I fumbled around for a moment when my hand touched my cell phone. I opened it and pressed some buttons before I came across the picture I wanted him to see.

Dr. Crane raised his eyebrow, giving me a quizzical look, as I handed him the phone. His eyes moved from me and focused on the image before him.

"Her name was Katie. It's the only picture I have of her." My voice cracked. Dr. Crane examined the photograph before he looked back to me. His blue eyes met mine. My mind stuttered before I decided to just tell him. I was wasting his time if I kept quiet. This wasn't going to get any easier.

"I don't really know where to start. This is something I've tried to suppress for close to a year and half now." My voice stumbled through the words.

"It's alright, you don't have to rush it, take your time." Dr. Crane assured me. I nodded as I tried to figure the best way to explain things.

"I didn't know anything was wrong. The ultrasound tech said everything looked perfect."

…

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

Olivia was hunched over, her hands held the cup of hot chocolate. Her eyes stared down at the cup as she stumbled across her words.

"I was…37 weeks into my pregnancy when I started having some really painful cramps. At first they felt like really strong braxton hicks so I didn't think I was in labor. After a few hours I started to bleed and I realized I needed to be checked. I texted my doctor, for some reason that was the best way to get a hold of her, and my mother took me to the hospital." Olivia sobbed. Her hand moved to the silver napkin holder as she grabbed one of rough paper-like objects. She wiped her eyes and she tried to steady her breath.

"Did your father go with you?" I questioned, trying to gather as much information as I could.

"No." she answered, slightly shaking her head. "He was at work and didn't know anything was going on."

Her eyes met mine for a brief second before they darted back to her hot chocolate. It was easy to see this subject made her uncomfortable. She caught a stray tear that had managed to sneak passed her with the napkin. After deep breath she continued,

"When we got to the hospital, I was hooked up to the monitors. The nurse started a NST and checked to see how much I was bleeding. She told me I had dilated quite far and went to call my doctor. My doctor was doing a C-section at the time so the on-call OBGYN was brought in.

"I was nervous about this new doctor but I was actually kind of excited that labor had started. It hurt like hell but all I could think about was holding, snuggling and seeing Katie. I wanted my baby girl to know I loved her before I gave her to her adoptive parents.

"Anyway, the new doctor had just come into the room when my water broke. Where I was so nervous about the on-call doctor, he had the nurse check me. She discovered the cord had prolapsed. I wasn't fully dilated and the way Katie was lying; her body was on top of the cord. Her heart rate started to drop immediately.

"The doctor told me they needed to do an emergency C-section and that he would have to knock me out. We didn't have time to do an epidural. I told him to do whatever he needed to. I just wanted Katie out, safe and alive." She cried. Her eyes were filling up with more tears. There was a look of pain on her face; she was clearly heartbroken about the situation.

"They weren't able to save her?" I questioned. She shook her head.

"By the time they got her out she had been deprived of oxygen for a while. They tried to resuscitate her but it was in vain. Even if they did bring her back it sounded like she would have had some serious brain damage. They told me that in a way, it was kinder to let her go.

"When I woke up from the sedative the doctor told me what had happened. The couple that was going to adopt her had the chance to hold her. They used my phone to take that picture I showed you. They had taken Katie's body down to the morgue by the time I woke up. I didn't get to see her until the small funeral we held for her." Olivia's voice cracked several times as she told me this. Her emotions were high.

"I had hoped that by having Katie and giving her to a family that loved her as much as I did but could take care of her in a way I couldn't; I would be able to find peace with the rape. I thought I was doing what was best for her and me. In the end, I couldn't even give her life." She stated before hanging her head.

"You blame yourself for what happened?" I inquired.

"How is it not my fault? It was my body that failed her. She didn't deserve what happened to her." Olivia answered. I thought for a moment.

Olivia's mental and internal wounds were deeper than I had originally realized. I thought she had just given the baby up for adoption and regretted that decision. Not only was she an anorexic rape victim; she was a grieving mother. With the right treatment and time, I could easily manipulate her mind and create her into who I wanted her to be. However, if I didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle that was her mind, I could also lose her.

She would have been a good mother, unlike my own mother. Olivia wanted her child to have a good life and did everything she could for her daughter. My mother dumped me on my great-grandmother and went on with her life.

I was quiet another moment before I decided to "test the water".

"You don't deserve what you're doing to yourself either. Did the anorexia start with the rape or with your daughter's death?" I questioned, needing to know everything I could about her condition.

"I had a hard time eating after the rape but was able to convince myself to eat for the baby. I was on prenatal vitamins, I went to the prenatal visits every month and then every other week. I wanted her to be healthy. When she died, I would sit in my room wishing I had been the one that died. That's when I stopped eating." Olivia commented. "Then the voice appeared and has haunted me…"

"The voice?" I interrupted her, making sure I had understood her correctly. I hadn't realized she was hearing voices. Her eyes widened as her mouth opened slightly. Olivia had failed to mention she was hearing voices. "What does the voice tell you?"

"He's the one who told me to cut myself. He's the one who reminds me about the rape and Katie's death. He's the one that tells me I deserve to die for what happened." Olivia answered after she got over the shock. She seemed surprised she had slipped out that piece of information.

I wasn't sure why she had kept it from me but that wasn't important at this point. I had to add schizophrenic to her list of mental health issues. Her case was becoming more and more complex. It's a damn good thing I enjoy a challenge.

I talked with her a little while longer before deciding to take our conversation back to my place.

'Put your hand on her back.' Scarecrow instructed.

"What for?" I questioned.

'Do you remember the look of fear on her face when you placed your hand on the back of her chair? Imagine what she'll do if you actually touch her when she's not expecting it.' Scarecrow answered. 'While you're busy brain washing her, why not get her interested in fear on a more personal level? She could be an asset to your research.'

I thought about his suggestion for a moment. I was curious to see how she'd react. Would she jump? Scream? Would she attack me? Or would she run like she had when I simply placed my hand on the back of her chair. I was fascinated by this thought.

I debated on it another moment. I placed my hand gently on her back, as a close friend or husband would do. Her body stiffened and I could almost feel her now racing heart pound through my hand. Olivia pushed my hand away from her. She looked like she was about to run but had managed to stop herself. I held my hand up apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to intrude." I apologized. Where she didn't scream or run, I knew she trusted me enough that she would brush it off as unimportant.

"It's ok, I just wasn't expecting it." Olivia shrugged as I knew she would. I gave her an unassuming smile before we continued our walk to my apartment.

Not only would I brain wash her into giving me her affection, I was determined I would own her mind. Once I had her mind I would own her thoughts and body. By substituting her insanity with my own logical thinking, I could control her. Olivia had already shown loyalty and dedication as my secretary. When I succeeded in this new experiment, she would be a great companion and minion in my other experiments.

The question of if I could accomplish this was out of my mind. I knew with the right formula, patience and time, I would completely demolish any society based logic in her head. Her internal battles would be gone. I couldn't allow her to have any conflicts, when I completed this task. If I could manipulate her into loving fear and enjoy others swindling in fears like I did, she would be complete.

'You have a new plan for Miss Higham?' Scarecrow questioned.

"Yes, I do."

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

Dr. Crane and I made small talk as we walked to his apartment. I needed to stop coming over here so much. I didn't want his neighbors to think he was sleeping with his students.

'_You whore; you're going to get him in trouble. You will ruin his life like you have everyone else's." _the voice taunted.

I put my hand up to my head, trying to get him to shut up.

"Are you alright?" Dr. Crane questioned, noticing my action.

"Yeah its just the voice." I answered.

"What is it telling you?" he inquired, obviously trying to get a feel for the voice's personality.

"He's telling me I'm going to ruin your life." I sighed out. He smirked.

"I highly doubt that." He told me. I nodded and before I knew it we were at his door. Once inside we settled on his couch as we had a couple times before.

"Olivia, I'm going to ask you some questions. I understand they're personal questions but I need honest answers so I know how to continue your treatment." Dr. Crane informed me. I was a little nervous but nodded.

"Did you ever tell your psychiatrist back home about the voice?" he inquired.

"No, he would lecture me if I was 'thinking positively'." I answered. "If it wasn't about happy bunnies and butterflies, he didn't want to hear it."

"You're first psychiatrist was a nutcase." Dr. Crane commented.

"You don't like positive thinking?" I asked.

"Positive thinking can impact the mind but to expect it to completely heal a situation like this is unrealistic. With _proper_ therapy and medication I believe you could have a fulfilling life." He emphasized. This was another reason I liked Dr. Crane, he was realistic with his expectations of me. He seemed to know it would take time for me to heal and he was up for the challenge.

"After reading through his notes, I really don't care for your previous psychiatrist." Dr. Crane admitted. I smiled.

"I don't particularly care for him either." I commented. He shot me another smirk. There was an understanding going on between us. I wasn't sure why we 'clicked' but we did.

"This next question is more personal and I apologize for any discomfort you may feel from it. Have you considered the idea that you may have other children in the future?" he inquired. I paused, it wasn't a question I had been expecting but I wanted his help.

"There are certain physical activities I would have to do in order to have other children. I never want to do that again so I think my chances of having any more children are gone." I answered. He gave me a quizzical look.

"The rape was my first time and I honestly don't know why any woman would do that willingly." I stated.

"I see." Dr. Crane nodded. "Are you afraid of relationships?"

"I don't mind companionship but I really don't want to be in a relationship with anyone."

"So basic human milestones like marriage wouldn't interest you."

"God no! I never want to get married. If I got married I'd be expected to do certain physical things that I never want to do again." I repeated.

"I think, in time you may change your mind. However that's unimportant at this point. It's time we build you back up Olivia. I promise with my help, you will have a fascinating life." Dr. Crane smirked.

…

We talked a while longer before I started to wilt.

"I should head home. I'm sorry to keep you up so late." I told him standing up from the couch. Dr. Crane looked at his watch. I hoped he was getting paid overtime with how long I had been there. I didn't want to waste his time.

"It's 3:30 in the morning. I think you should plan to stay here." He informed me standing next to me.

"I don't want to intrude, Dr. Crane." I stated.

"Call me Jonathan and don't worry about it. I'll grab you a pillow and blanket. We can continue our chat when we get up." He suggested.

"Ok." I agreed, after thinking a moment.

Within 15 minutes I was lying back on Dr. Crane's….Jonathan's couch trying to fall asleep. I felt lucky and blessed to have a friend like Jonathan. He seemed to understand what I was telling him and was respectful towards me and my loss. He seemed like an angel sent from the heavens. I wanted to know more about him and his past. I wanted to know what he had conjuring in that super smart brain of his.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **_Hello everyone! Here is chapter 9! Thanks to everyone for reading/following/favorting my story. A special thanks to those who reviewed. :D**  
**_

**forgetmenotflowers: **_Sorry! I know it was a sad chapter. Thanks for the compliment though. I appreciate it! :D**  
**_

**Megushie: **_Thank you! I'm glad you liked it._ _:D**  
**_

**Tonya: **_Thanks so much! I was very happy to see your review! I hope I'll do a good job in this chapter too. :D_

_Well, here is chapter 9! I hope you all will enjoy it. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again!-Lin_**  
**

_...  
_

**Olivia's P.O.V (continued)**

_{Dream}_

_I stirred before slowly opening my eyes. There was a soft beep that filled the room every other second. It took a moment before my eyes were able to focus. My eyes glided across the room. It didn't take long to remember where I was. I looked down at my somewhat pudgy non-pregnant belly. I felt sore but I was anxious to hear how the C-section went. I wanted to see Katie. _

_I wasn't awake very long when Dr. Black came into the room. My heart jumped slightly as a smile formed on my lips. _

"_How's Katie? When can I see her?" I questioned. I was convinced the C-section had been successful and my baby girl was breathing and resting comfortably in the nursery. _

_Dr. Black shot me a sympathetic look, his brows narrowed as he approached me. _

"_I am so sorry, Miss Higham. Your daughter was born still." Dr. Black told me._

"_What?" I asked, hoping I had misheard him. _

"_Your daughter was a stillborn. We tried to resuscitate her but she had been without oxygen too long. I'm sorry." Dr. Black explained. I felt my heart break. My breath quickened as the shock hit me like a train. _

"_Can I see her?" I asked in desperation._

"_I'm sorry; we've already taken the body to the morgue. I think your family used your phone to take a picture." He stated. He talked with me for a few more minutes before he left. _

_My hand reached for my phone. I wanted to see my baby. I flipped through some buttons until the image flashed across the screen. Katie was beautiful. _

_{End of dream}_

I woke up a little startled. I sat up and massaged my head for a moment. After tossing the blanket to the other side of the couch I stood up and stretched. My eyes skimmed across the room. I had been here before but I had been an emotional mess and hadn't noticed the features in the room.

It was a fairly empty room with the dark blue couch, a mocha colored coffee table, a TV and two bookcases. The walls were bare, no pictures or signs of a personal touch. I looked around the room for any sign of Dr. Crane but didn't see him.

Being bored and unsure what to do, I walked over to the bookcases. One of the cases was filled with all sorts of books on psychology, chemistry and phobias. This book case mimicked the bookcases back at the university very neat and orderly.

I turned to the second book case to see several DVDs, all horror or thriller genres.

'_Damn, he is really obsessed with fear.'_ I thought, looking at the titles. Jonathan had everything from _Pan's Labyrinth_ to _The Grudge_. This case still looked neat but the DVDs weren't as orderly as the books in the case next to it were. My eye twitched as my OCD kicked in and I started to alphabetize the DVDs.

_'You freak, why do you always do this?'_ the voice asked, trying to spark conflict. I simply didn't know why I was like this. I didn't understand why these small messes drove me crazy.

"Are you alphabetizing my DVDs?" I heard a man say. I turned to see Dr. Crane…Jonathan leaning against a door frame. I felt my face grow red with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I am actually." I answered him. He smirked and started to walk towards me. "You must really like horror movies." I commented before I went back to the DVDs.

"Well, phobias and fear tend to go hand-in-hand." He answered.

"Yeah I guess they would. Do you like being scared?" I questioned.

"I'm not interested in experiencing fear. I'm interested in studying fear. Think about it like this. Fear is universal; fear is something we all experience. Fear can take control and rule our lives if we allow it. Or we can take control, face our fears and allow the mind and logic to create the life we want." Jonathan explained. "Not many people are willing to embrace their fears therefore it controls them."

I nodded at his answer. His logic made sense. I looked back over the DVDs.

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

I watched Olivia closely. I wanted to know what she thought about fear.

"Is that why I freak out every time someone touches me or I feel cornered? I'm allowing the fear to take control?" she questioned. Her interest in fear had begun and I knew exactly which way I wanted to take her.

"Haphephobia is very common among rape victims. It's normal for you to feel that way at this point. It is treatable." I informed her.

"How do you treat that?" she inquired.

"Do you have plans tonight?"

"No. Why?"

"There's an exercise I'd like to try with you."

"Don't you have papers to grade and finals to create for your students?" she asked.

"I have time for this." I insisted. In order for her to master fears, she first had to experience it. For now she would only experience it at a minimal level and under my watchful eye. I needed to strengthen the security she felt around me. This particular activity could help with that. After all, touch is an essential part of bonding. I needed her to feel bonded to me. Step one of my operation was in progress.

…..

Olivia looked around the club. Her lip had a quiver to it as her hands shook slightly. It wasn't hard to tell that she was nervous.

"So what are we doing here exactly?" she questioned, her eyes looking away from the people that filled the room to mine.

"We're here to help you overcome your phobia, remember?" I answered.

"This isn't a traditional therapy session." She commented.

"No its not; in your case I believe a more personal form of therapy is needed." I explained, calmly. Olivia nodded but still seemed nervous.

"Do you avoid crowds?" I asked.

"I don't go out more than I have to. The rape did happen in a parking lot full of people. No one helped me then. Being around people is more of a stress than a comfort." She lamented.

"Do you feel this way with your family and around me?" I inquired. There were times Olivia was nervous around me but it didn't seem like it was because she was around me.

"I don't mind being around my parents or my brother. I'm not nervous around you or Karl." She told me. "I am nervous that you brought me here though."

I would have to make some adjustments to her thought process in this area. I didn't want her to trust anyone but me. I needed to be subtle in that approach. At one point Olivia said she was close to her family. I would have to meet her family and use their own words to twist things around in her mind. I had to make them the villains. Maybe her cousin, Karl, was the key there.

"You don't have to be nervous. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Do you trust me?"

"I wouldn't have come in here if I didn't trust you." She informed me. I smirked.

"So what is the exercise exactly? Why do we have to do it here?" she asked again.

"Well, I figured you would be more comfortable in a public place. However, it seems you might have been more at ease back at your place or mine." I commented. I needed to conduct this experiment carefully. Of course I was always careful and precise on my experiments.

"Does that mean we can leave?" she asked hopefully.

"In a few minutes, there's something I want to do first." I told her. She looked at me with a quizzical, nervous look. "Remember fear is in the mind, you can let it control you or you can determine to overcome it."

"What is it?" she asked again.

"This is very simple and should be fairly painless. I am going to place my hand on your back, like I did last night. I will keep it there for 15 seconds unless you become too anxious. Is that alright?" I questioned. She breathed in heavily. Olivia clearly hated this idea.

"What if I can't handle it?" she questioned. I wished I could read her thoughts. The fear going through her mind at this moment would be fascinating to read.

"The key is to control your fear." I reminded her one last time. Olivia thought for a brief moment before she nodded. I gently placed my hand on her back. Her eyes closed and her body trembled slightly. I looked down to my watch a few times to make sure I wasn't going to go overtime.

"Ok, that's it." I said, lifting my hand from her back. I needed to get Olivia used to my touch. The best way I to do that was to allow her some space and slowly make progress. If I overwhelmed her these mind games could backfire and I didn't want that. Olivia relaxed almost instantly but still looked worried.

"Can we go?" her voice shook. I nodded.

"Of course." I answered. Within a few minutes we were walking the streets of Gotham.

"The night you told me about the rape; I took your hand a few times. Did that bother you?" I asked.

"I think I was too focused on getting help for the cut. I don't remember it bothering me." Olivia answered. I nodded. She had been manic that night and she probably hadn't even noticed I had held her hand.

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

We walked down the street in an awkward silence. Dr. Crane, I don't think I'll ever get used to calling him Jonathan, seemed to be deep in thought.

"So…will you be going to visit your family for the holiday once the semester ends?" I asked, wanting to change the subject and hoping to get to know him a little better. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at me.

"No. I'll be here." He answered. "What about you? Will you go back to North Dakota once the term is over?"

"Actually my family will be coming out here."

"Really? That will be...fun." He commented.

"It might be. They don't realize I have my own apartment. They think I'm still living with Karl." I stated.

"You're a liar?" he smirked. I thought for a moment before nodding.

"I guess I am. It's not that I want to lie to them it's more of they worry about me enough as it is. This would give them another reason to." I told him. We were quiet for a few minutes as we made our way back to my apartment. "Do you think I'll ever get the confidence to stop being a doormat?" I asked him. He looked surprise by my question.

"You think you're a doormat?" Dr. Crane asked.

"Aren't I? I do everything I'm told without a second thought."

"That's part of what makes you a good secretary. Though, I imagine if it's like that in every aspect of your life, it would get annoying." Dr. Crane commented. "Give it time. I've said it before but I do think you will have a fulfilling life with therapy and medications."

I nodded and turned back to the side walk in front of me. We walked in silence for a few more minutes.

"How are your classes? Are you ready for finals?" Dr. Crane asked, changing the subject.

"Ummm, some of them are a little rough. I'm a slightly nervous but I think I'll do alright." I told him. I was getting my usual B's and the occasional C but finals did worry me. I was never a good test taker. It didn't seem to matter how much I studied, I would always freeze during a test. I couldn't remember anything I had studied and as a result my test scores were low.

"Do you need help studying? Perhaps I could be of assistance." Dr. Crane offered.

"Are you sure you have time? I know you have a lot going on."

"Don't worry about it. I can make time."

…..

"So is this therapy or are you mad at me?" I asked Jonathan as he brought a bowl of popcorn into his front room. Finals were officially over and I was able to pass most of my classes. Thank heavens for Jonathan's help with studying otherwise I may not have passed any of my tests.

"Neither, this is two friends hanging out and having fun. If I was mad at you, you'd know it." He answered sitting next to me as the movie _The Sixth_ _Sense_ started to play. Between studying, therapy, work and then class, we saw each other quite a bit. Jonathan let me know he wanted to pursue my therapy during the Christmas break. So even though classes were over for now, I still saw him often.

"Your idea of fun is very different from mine." I stated. I didn't know why he invited me to come over and watch a movie with him. Of course, knowing Jonathan and his fascination with fear, he probably just wanted to watch me squirm during the movie. He was such a weird therapist but he was great at what he did. Plus he was a good friend, even if he did try to scare the hell out of me during our therapy sessions.

"You don't like horror movies?" he inquired.

"Not really. I can never sleep after I watch one. It's that way even with the dumb ones." I told him. "Pathetic isn't it?" Jonathan gave me a slightly amused smile.

"If you don't like them, why did you come over here? I told you what we were watching." he questioned. That was a fair question. I didn't have to agree to come when Jonathan invited me over.

"I don't know. I guess I'd rather hang out with you than be by myself." I commented. He gave me another smirk before we turned to the movie.

**Dr. Crane's P.O.V**

'Put your arm around her.' I heard Scarecrow whisper.

"Well that would be a good way to freak her out." I commented. It took me three weeks but Olivia didn't jump every time I placed my hand on her back now. It was a small act but it was progress. Of course helping her overcome her haphephobia was just a speck of my plan. There was still a lot to do.

'She could be ready for the next step. Put your arm around her.'

"She's not ready."

'She wasn't ready for you when you started putting you hand on her back and now look where you are. Just put your arm around her. It's time for you to take things to the next step.' Scarecrow insisted.

I looked over to Olivia; she seemed absorbed in the movie. She had managed to gain more weight. She hadn't gained as much as I hoped she would but at least she didn't look like she belonged in the grave anymore.

"This movie is creepy." Olivia stated. I flashed her one of my smirks. There was a very easy way to test if she was ready for the next step in her treatment. I could make it subtle enough that she wouldn't be able to detect the experiment.

I scooted closer to her ever so slightly and subtly placed my arm around her.

"You haven't seen this movie before, right?" I questioned.

Olivia lightly brushed my arm away from her. That let me know that I was right in assuming she wasn't ready for part two of my plan. She also didn't jump, flinch or anything else, which surprised me. Her trust and security around me had grown. I wasn't a threat in her mind, which is what I wanted.

"I haven't. Let's watch _Pan's Labyrinth_ after this. It looks interesting." Olivia suggested. I didn't expect her to say that.

"I thought you didn't like horror movies." I commented. I wanted her to tell me her thoughts.

"No I don't. I'm not going to be able to sleep after this movie anyway. We might as well have a horror movie marathon, if you're up for it."

"Sure. I may even add some movies to the list. I'll help you see the humor in these movies. I think you'll grow to like them."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! I'm so sorry its taken me so long to update. School and work have been keeping me busy. Thanks to everyone who is following/ favoring my story. A special thanks to everyone how reviewed:_

**Hufflepuffsfind:** _Thanks for the review! I appreciate it! Cillian Murphy is such a great actor. I've enjoyed everything I've seen him in. (He's so handsome too! ;)) I'm glad that you're enjoying my story. I hope you'll continue to like it. :D_

**forgetmenotflowers**: _We start seeing a tiny bit more romance in this chapter so not as much rejection. I hope you'll like it. I love your reviews, they always make me smile and laugh. :D_

**PlaguingYourDreams:** _Thanks for the review. Here's your update! :D_

** Megushie:** _I know I love Pan's Labyrinth! Its such a great movie! Thanks for the review! I appreciate it! :D_

**xxyangxx2006**: _Haha your review made me laugh. If that's how you feel reading it, imagine how creepy I feel for writing it. :D Normally I'm not into the manipulation things but its so Jonathan Crane. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story. Thanks for the review! I appreciate it! :D_

**Tonya:** _Yay! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story. I hope there won't be too many errors in the chapter and that you will enjoy it. I wish you had an account so I could ask you some questions. Thanks for the review! I appreciate it! :D I added your suggestion to this chapter. I thought I had posted something like that already but I guess I deleted it. Thanks! :D  
_

**EleanorBlythe:**_ I am planning on finishing this story so don't worry about that!:D Sorry its taken me so long to update. This week has been crazy busy. I'm hoping to get out a few chapter next week during the holiday. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the review! I appreciate it. :D_

**watergoddesskasey:**_Thanks for the review! I appreciate it. I'm glad that you're enjoying my story. :D_

_Anyway, here is chapter 10! I hope you all will enjoy it and that there aren't too many mistakes. This chapter is slightly shorter than I wanted but hopefully its still good. I'm excited for the next chapter and will try to have it out in a day or two. Please review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks!-Lin_

_**Disclaimer:** Just a reminder I do not own any Batman characters nor am I making any money off of this story. i also don't own any of the movies I included in the last chapter. I only own my OCS and this story is simply for fun and entertainment.  
_

_...  
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"You have a lot of plants." Jonathan commented as he looked around my apartment. I smiled as I started to peel some sweet potatoes. It was the day before Christmas Eve and my family would be here the next day. I needed to finish all the cooking I wanted to get done before my mother got here; otherwise she would try to do everything. I wanted to show my parents I didn't need them to hold my hand anymore. I still had a long way to go but I was proud of the progress I had made.

A few days passed since our little horror movie marathon. I was probably spending way too much time with Jonathan. However, I enjoyed his company. He wasn't as annoying as Karl was. Don't get me wrong I liked Karl but, like my parents, he treated me like a responsibility. I hated that. I guess, technically, I was Jonathan's responsibility as his patient. However, it felt like he somewhat genuinely cared for me. He didn't make me feel like a burden. I appreciated and liked him for that.

"So, if you won't be with family for Christmas, what will you do?" I questioned. I wanted to know more about him. Whenever I would try to ask Jonathan about his past he would shrug it off. The little information he did give me let me know he didn't care for his family. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. What caused him to learn about psychology, chemistry and then go to medical school? Why was he obsessed with fear? Jonathan was such a strong, logical and calm man. Yet he seemed distant. I had my reasons to distance myself from others. What were his?

"I'll probably work on lesson plans or something 'fun' like that." Jonathan answered, after he thought for a few seconds.

"That doesn't sound like much fun at all." I stated before I placed the sweet potatoes into a pot of boiling water. Jonathan shrugged slightly before leaning against the counter next to me.

'_Maybe I should invite him to spend the holiday with my family. He's done a lot for me; it doesn't seem fair to let him be alone.'_ I thought before Jonathan reached out his hand. I gave him a confused look. He never extended his hand for mine. What was he scheming now?

"Are you finished cooking for the moment?" he asked.

"Yes?" I questioned, still confused.

"I want to try an exercise with you." Jonathan explained before he extended his hand out for mine again. A woman's shriek was heard from TV, I glanced over at it before turning back to Jonathan.

"You know most people watch _The Year Without A Santa Clause _or _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer _this time of year." I commented before I took his hand. I had started to get used to Jonathan's touch. I wasn't sure why. It was probably because of his subtle approach as he tried to get me used to human touch. If anyone else tried to touch me, at this point, I would probably freak out.

"Are you complaining about my horror movie?" Jonathan inquired as he led me into the front room of my apartment.

"Not at all, it's just different from what I'm used to watching this time of year." I told him. He nodded. "What are we doing this time?"

"I want to dance with you." Jonathan informed me. My hand left his and I slightly backed away from him.

"What?" I asked. I didn't know why the idea of dancing scared me. Dancing was a very common and normal thing to do. I still didn't like it when he would place his arm around me. The idea of being close enough to dance with him made my heart race.

"Its alright if you don't want to. I won't force you. I just thought this would be a fun exercise to help get you used to touch." Jonathan explained. His eyes looked me over as he tried to decide what action to take next.

'_Dancing should be fairly harmless.'_ I reasoned with myself. '_I've sat fairly close to him while watching those horror movies of his. We wouldn't be any closer than that. Besides dancing could be fun.'_

"Are you hearing the voice again?" Jonathan inquired. "You look like you're arguing with yourself. Is the medication not working?"

"It's not that. I haven't really heard him in the last week." I told him. I was grateful for that. One of my biggest fears was that I wouldn't be able to overcome the voice. I didn't want to lose my battle with him. Now, thanks to Jonathan, I was starting to live a somewhat normal life.

"Its good to hear the medication is working. Let me know if the voice starts acting up again." He said.

"I will." I nodded.

"Shall we skip this exercise?" Jonathan questioned. I hesitated for a moment before I shook my head.

"No, we can try it." I answered.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He was studying me; probably trying to determine if I was really alright with it.

"Yeah it should be…fun." I stated. I didn't understand; dancing shouldn't cause problems. Why did it make me feel nervous?

One of Jonathan's hands rested on my waist while the other took my hand. He pulled me slightly closer to him. Damn I was nervous. There was a side of me that felt trapped and I wanted to run.

'_It's in my mind. I can't let my fear control me._' I tried to remind myself. _'This is so dumb. Come on, Liv, it's just dancing.' _My heart was racing. I wondered if he could see it pounding in my chest. I let in a deep breath when I felt Jonathan remove his hands from me.

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

I watched Olivia closely as she tried to calmly deal with whatever inner turmoil my hand on her waist was causing her.

'It's fascinating how such a small act can cause her this much fear.' Scarecrow observed.

"It really is. I wish I could know exactly what she's thinking and feeling." I replied. "Of course, for someone like her, this would be a normal response. I need to back off. I still need her to trust me."

'But she's so sexy with that little quiver in her lip.' Scarecrow whined slightly. He was right, seeing her so scared was a turn on but I was still in the brain washing process. I needed to back off or else all the work I've done this far would be for nothing.

Olivia eyes met mine as I moved my hands away from her. She gave me a questioning look.

"You're not ready." I explained.

"I can do this." She said to my surprise.

"You don't have to. I'm not going to push you to." I reminded her.

"Jonathan, you're the one who has always told me it's in my mind. I want to overcome this now. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to do something as simple as dancing."

"If you try to force yourself to overcome something before you're ready it could backfire." I commented.

"I used to love to dance." Her voice shook, "I don't want to stop doing something I used to love just because I'm afraid of being touched."

"Are you sure?" I asked, somewhat surprised she had come to that conclusion. Olivia nodded; her eyes seemed to plead with me. I didn't want to lose all the work I had done the last little while but she had a determined look in her eye. She wanted to overcome this and she was willing to try. If something as simple as dancing with her could help her reach a small break through, it would be worth the gamble.

"Ok." I answered before gently placing my hand back on her waist. Olivia was still nervous but her hand still grabbed mine. Her eyes slowly looked back to mine. I tried to mesmerize her with my eyes. I didn't want her to look away from me as I slowly danced with her across the room. The whole reason for this particular part of the plan was to try to help her see me as something more than just a friend or therapist. Nothing would come of it just yet but I wanted to slightly begin alter her feelings for me. For some reason, dance seemed to be a way to do that.

Olivia was an alright dancer. She stumbled a little bit but that was more out of nerve than lack of skill. Her nervousness seemed to die down as I managed to keep her focused on me. I pulled her a little closer to me. She didn't seem to notice as I had her enchanted by my charm. There was a small light in her eyes.

"I need to check that." Olivia said after we heard a small high-pitched beep. I nodded and again removed my hand from her. She didn't seem to realize how close we were until now. She gave me a small smile before making her way back over to her kitchen. I couldn't help but smirk. I had managed to start a small spark. It wasn't hard to see her feelings for me were starting to change.

Now it was time to shift gears and turn my attention to the next step.

**Olivia's P.O.V**

'_Well that was kind of weird.'_ I thought as I checked the sweet potatoes. _'That was a long 8 minutes._' I went through the motions of putting the rest of the dish together but I couldn't get my mind off of dancing with Jonathan.

I knew I liked him. I didn't realize how much I liked him though. I still didn't want to be in a relationship with him or anyone else. Jonathan was a smart, strong and confident man. I was incompetent, slow and afraid of everything. I hated that about me. I wanted to gain the confidence and knowledge he had.

I looked up when I heard Jonathan enter the kitchen.

"Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Jonathan inquired.

"I'm fine. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." I answered, as I finished up with my cooking for the night.

"Good. Maybe we could go dancing sometime?" Jonathan suggested. He watched me closely. It looked like he wanted to make sure he hadn't crossed a line.

"Sure. I'd like that." I smiled. He smirked.

"Are you done cooking?" he asked.

"Yes actually. Do you want to start over that movie you brought and we'll actually watch it this time? I don't have any popcorn though." I stated.

"Sure. I think you'll like this one."

"If you say so." I said unconvinced. He smirked before he left the kitchen. I quickly put things away. My eye twitched at the mess I had made in my little kitchen. I joined Jonathan in the front room not wanting to let my OCD get the better of me. I didn't have to clean up the kitchen right that second. I really wanted to though. I sat next to my friend as he started the movie.

…..

"I'm choosing the next movie." I told Jonathan as the end credits appeared on the screen. Jonathan turned his attention to me. He sent me another one of his smirks. My heart skipped a beat as his eyes met mine. Jonathan was a very handsome man; I was amazed I hadn't really noticed that until now.

'_No, I'm not doing this to myself._' I started to scold myself, _'I am not going to get a crush on my therapist.'_

"Sorry you didn't like it." Jonathan commented. There was something about his eyes; I almost didn't want to look away from him. I forced myself to look away.

"I'm worried about my parents coming tomorrow." I told him, changing the subject. Jonathan gave me a surprised look.

"Why?" he inquired. " I thought you were close to your parents."

"My parents are good people and they hearts are in the right place. What if they don't see the progress I've made? What if they think I'm just wasting my time?"

"Well, you and I both know that you're not wasting your time. You've made some excellent progress. I mean you still look like a toothpick but you are doing better. There's no reason for them to think you're not making progress."

"I hope you're right." I told him.

"I am." Jonathan smirked. I smiled. He did have a talent of being right all the time.

"I hope this isn't inappropriate, and if it is let me know, but I was wondering if you'd like to join my family and I for our festivities?" I invited.

"We're friends so I don't think it's inappropriate it but your family might think it is." He answered.

"Actually my mother has wanted to meet you for a while now."

"Why is that?"

"You're my therapist. She wants to know why your techniques work better than Dr. Bennett's did. Plus you're the extent of my social life. I think she wants to make sure you're not a weirdo." I told him. Jonathan smirked yet again.

"I am a werido." he joked while he sent me a wink. We both let out a small chuckle.

"Sure, I'll come over."

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

This was perfect. I didn't have to weasel my way into her family gathering as I had originally thought I would have to. I needed to see how she and her family interacted with each other. It was almost time to start turning her against them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! So sorry it took me long to update than I thought it would. I hope to get a couple more chapter out this week with the break. (I hope, I hope!) Thanks to those who are reading/following/favoring my story! A special to those who are reviewing:_

**Tonya**: _Thanks for the suggestions. I actually thought I had added something like that but I guess I must have deleted it at some point before I posted the chapter. Anyway I went ahead and included that in my last chapter. (The "I am a weirdo" suggestion.) I'll see what I can come up with, with including the dark humor. Thanks again! If you do get time to create an account please do send me a PM. I hope you'll like this new chapter. Its a little more 'romantic' so I hope I presented in a way that isn't to annoying/OOC. :D_

**forgetmenotflowers:** _haha! Love it! We get a little more romance in this chapter. I think you'll like it. Love your reviews. They always make my day! :D_

**PlaguingYourDreams:** _Here's your update! Thanks for the review! :D_

**EleanorBlythe:** _I_ _think you'll like the end of this chapter. It's a bit more romantic. Jonathan is trying to build her up but in a way that suits him, not Olivia. Thanks for the review! :D_

**Hench-Girl95**:_ Hi girl! Thanks for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. :D_

**Decepticon-Silverstreak:** _Thanks! I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story. :D_

**xxyangxx2006:** _Haha, thanks for the review. It made me smile and laugh. We get a little more romance in this chapter. I hope you'll like it. Thanks again! :D_

_I think I got everyone. I hope you will enjoy the chapter. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!—Lin_

…..

"Just to warn you my brother is a bit of a jerk." I told Jonathan while we waited for Karl to bring my family to my apartment form the airport.

"I'm not worried about your brother." Jonathan informed me. He was as calm and cool as ever.

"Well I hope he won't be mean to you. Oh, another warning, my grandmother is also coming. She's a little boy crazy. So don't be surprised if she tries to set us up or if she flirts with you. She'll probably do both."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know why, but when my grandmother sees me a round a cute guy she always tries to get me to go out with him."

"Ah, you have one of 'those' grandmothers." Jonathan commented. I nodded. I was nervous but I seemed to always be nervous. I hated it. I mean this was my family. I shouldn't have to nervous around them. I was grateful to Jonathan for being willing to come tonight. For some reason his presence seemed to slightly calm my nerves.

"So you think I'm cute?" Jonathan questioned, while sending me an impish smile and wink. I returned the smile as we both let out a soft laugh. He was such a funny guy. I went to reply when we heard a knock on the door.

"I better get that." I told him before walking over to the door.

"Hey Karl." I greeted my cousin.

"Liv." He nodded and smiled before coming into the apartment.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. He had volunteered to pick up my parents, brother and our grandmother from the airport. I had figured the family would be with him.

"They should be right behind me." Karl said before he saw Jonathan.

"Dr. Crane? Are you making house calls now?" Karl asked Jonathan. I hadn't spent a lot of time with Karl since I started to hand out with Jonathan outside of school and work. Karl didn't seem to like that I was spending so much time with my boss/therapist.

Jonathan opened his mouth to reply when my grandmother pranced through the door. Grandma Vera had dark brown eyes and white curly hair. She walked over to me at a brisk pace and gave me a small hug.

"Livy, dear; it is so nice to see you again." Grandma Vera smiled after the hug.

"Hi Grandma." I said returning the smile. She went to say something when she noticed Karl and Jonathan watching our little reunion. I could almost see the wheels in Jonathan's head turning. He was planning something. I wish I could read his mind.

"Who's that?" Grandma Vera questioned looking Jonathan over.

"Oh, Grandma this is Dr. Crane." I introduced the two.

"Ma'am." Jonathan nodded to my grandmother. My grandma had an impish smile as she looked him over. Grandma Vera returned the nod before turning back to me.

"He's cute." She "whispered" loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Grandma!" Karl exclaimed slightly embarrassed. Our grandmother had never lived with his part of the family so he wasn't used to her flirtatious ways.

"What it's true?" Grandma Vera shrugged before winking at my boss. I honestly had no idea why my grandmother was like this. She was seventy years old and still acted like a teenager. She wasn't a typical Grandma but she had been a lot of fun to grow up around…even if she had chased away the only boyfriend I had, had from high school.

Jonathan shot me an amused smile. I wasn't sure if it was because my Grandmother thought he was cute or if it was because of the horrified look Karl had on his face. I wondered if I would ever meet Jonathan's family and what they were like. What kind of childhood had he had? I went to say something to Jonathan when we heard some bustling by the door as my mother, father and brother emerged.

"What a trip…" my mother sighed as she set down a box and looked around the room. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. "Olivia; it is so good to see you again." She said as she came up to me and hugged me. "I can't believe you didn't tell us you had your own apartment. The deal was you would live with Karl while you were here." She continued to say.

"Hi mom. Yes I know but I needed my own space." I greeted her. After hugging my father and acknowledging my brother, I introduced Jonathan to my family. They seemed to welcome and accept him into the family gathering willingly.

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Olivia was right. Her grandmother was boy crazy. I felt like she was a vulture staring at its prey. She was hilarious but somewhat creepy as she winked at me. I looked away from "Grandma Vera" and focused on Olivia and her parents. I watched their interactions throughout the feast Olivia had insisted on cooking.

They spoke as a warm family would and seemed to welcome me into their family gathering as if I were a close friend or family member. This was something I wasn't used to. I didn't really have a family growing up. My father left before I was born, my mother abandoned me right after I was born and my great-grandmother was a fanatic, who viewed me as nothing more than a burden.

"You're looking well, Liv." Mrs. Higham complimented her daughter. I wasn't sure why Olivia had been so nervous. Her family didn't seem abusive or unkind, which would make it harder to turn her against them. Her father had made several comments about the possibility of her moving back to North Dakota but she tried to make it clear that wasn't going to happen for a while. I needed to make sure that wasn't ever going to happen.

"Yes she's starting to fatten up nicely." Her brother, Brian, commented. I didn't care for Brian. He hadn't said much but when he did say something it seemed like he was trying to undo everything I had done in Olivia's therapy.

He made fun of her OCD, her fear of human interaction, her cooking and her eating disorder. That wasn't going to help her with her psychological problems. In fact it would only make things worse. That meant he was making my job as her psychiatrist harder. This little twerp was pissing me off with his rude and arrogant comments. On the other hand, his immature behavior could help with my experiment. His comments could help me turn Olivia against her family.

"So Dr. Crane," Mrs. Higham turned her attention to me, "Has Olivia told you about the time she broke her leg?"

"No I don't believe she has." I said. Mrs. Higham proceeded to tell the family the story while Olivia sat there in embarrassment. If nothing else I could probably get a lot of interesting stories about Olivia out of these people.

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

I let out a sigh. I loved my family but I was glad for a little break from them. They were still at my apartment while Jonathan walked the streets of Gotham with me. I needed the fresh air.

Between my brother's comments, my grandmother trying to set me up with Jonathan and my dad insisting I go back to North Dakota with them, I felt a little suffocated. They were wonderful and loving parents. However, it felt like they wanted me to stay in their protection forever. I loved them but I didn't want to have to hold their hands anymore. I didn't want to seem ungrateful to them. They had done a lot of for me. I just wanted to control my own life. I didn't want to be a burden to anyone. Plus my family seemed focused on embarrassing me in front of Jonathan, that wasn't a lot of fun.

Jonathan was quiet as he walked next to me. I wasn't sure where we were going but I enjoyed the fresh air. I had spent the last few days trying to make my apartment suitable for guests and cooking for our Christmas dinner.

"Are you alright?" Jonathan asked after a few minutes. He watched me closely.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for coming with me. You could have stayed there if you had wanted. …." I trailed off.

"No, I think I'd rather hang out with you." Jonathan admitted. We walked for a few more minutes before his hand lightly touched mine. Our fingers intertwined as we continued our walk.

"I can't believe you jumped off your playhouse roof." He teased me a bit about how I broke my leg.

"I was 10! The trampoline was right under me and I had seen Brian do it several times." I laughed. I didn't know why my mother insisted on telling such funny stories about me. I was young when I jumped off on the playhouse roof. I had barely missed the trampoline and landed on the ground. That wasn't a very fun day for me.

"You know, when you told me your brother was a jerk, I didn't realize how big of a jerk. Does he say things like that to you often?" Jonathan inquired. I'm sure he was trying to assess my family to help with my therapy.

"Not since I moved out here. I don't see or talk to him very often now." I told him. Jonathan nodded.

"That's probably a good thing. He doesn't seem very supportive of your recovery." Jonathan observed.

"I don't know why he says things like that. I think, he thinks I'm ungrateful to our parents. I know something my previous psychiatrist would tell me and my family that I was "lucky". He would always tell us that I was lucky the rapist hadn't killed me. I was lucky the rapist hadn't been caught so I wouldn't have to relive the rape while testifying. I was lucky….Brian thinks I should just listen to that advice and 'get over' the rape." I told him, looking at the ground.

"Damn, I really don't like your past therapist. If I could, I'd get his license revoked. He clearly shouldn't be working with rape victims." Jonathan commented. I look up to him and our eyes met for a moment. I agreed with him.

"So what did you think of my grandmother?" I asked trying to lighten the mood. Jonathan let out a small chuckle.

"I don't think she has any idea that she's seventy and not seventeen. I've never met a woman her age who is that boy crazy. My great-grandmother wasn't like that at least." Jonathan assessed. My mind perked up a bit. He hadn't mentioned anyone from his family before.

"Are you close to your great-grandmother?" I questioned, hoping he would tell me more about his family.

"No. She raised me but we were never close. She's dead now." He answered. His eyes had darkened and his body seemed to tense up.

"Where was your mother?" I asked, hoping I wasn't overstepping my boundaries.

"I don't know." Jonathan answered as we came reached once of Gotham's many night clubs. "Do you want to grab some drinks, maybe sneak in a couple of dances?" he asked as we heard the music blaring. He was clearly trying to change the subject so I nodded. My heart jumped slightly. I was nervous but excited to dance with him again. I wasn't sure what I had felt the first time and I was conflicted. I wanted to feel it again but I didn't at the same time.

Jonathan smirked as he held the door open for me. I smiled at him before walking into the club. My excitement quickly left as there were several people inside the club. I was surprised the club was even open on Christmas Eve and that so many people would be here. Jonathan's hand grabbed mine again. I looked from the crowd of people to Jonathan. He gave me a reassured look before I continued to walk up to the bar.

After we had ordered our drinks and talked a bit more about my family, he asked me to dance. I smiled nervously. My heart started to pound as it always seemed to do in these situations. Jonathan's hand rested on my hip as the other hand took mine and he started to lead me across the dance floor.

There was something about his eyes. They captivated me, holding my stare. I couldn't and didn't want to look away from him. Jonathan's arm tightened around my waist as he pulled me slightly closer to him. His face inched a little closer to mine. I was starting to panic. I wanted to run but stopped myself. There was something about him that attracted me to him. Our lips almost touched when the slow song had stopped and a much more upbeat song began to play. I snapped out of my trance and moved a little further away from him.

Damn it, I have a crush on my therapist!

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

'Damn it! That was so close.' Scarecrow said, frustrated.

"I know. I'm making great progress with her." I answered. Olivia looked nervous. She had been afraid when she thought we were going to kiss and it turned me on. Her feelings had changed and she was starting to bond to me nicely.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"So you and Dr. Crane were out late." My mother commented. Jonathan and Karl had gone home while everyone else went to the hotel. My mother decided she wanted to spend the night at my apartment so we could have some mother-daughter time. I heard her but my mind was concentrating on the kiss Jonathan and I had almost shared.

"Liv?" My mother said trying to getting me out of my thoughts. "Liv!"

"Hmm?" I said snapping out of my thoughts. We were sitting on my couch drinking some hot apple cider.

"You and Dr. Crane seem to like each other." She hinted, trying to get a conversation going.

"We're friends." I shrugged. I wasn't sure what I felt for him other than I knew I really, _really_ liked him.

"Just friends?" she inquired. Again I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't sure where our relationship was at this point. "You two seem to really like each other."

"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering what she had noticed.

"Just the way you two act around each other. The long glances you give each other, like you two know something that the rest of us don't know. The fact that you actually smile around him proves something is going on."

"I smile around you guys."

"Yeah those small forced ones. You seem to give Jonathan….sorry "Dr. Crane" your real smiles." She observed.

"Mom, he's my boss, my psychiatrist. Its inappropriate for there to be anything romantic between us."

"That doesn't seem to be stopping you from spending so much time with him. Come on Liv gossip. This is the first man you've had any interest in, in a really long time. Talk with me." My mother insisted. She smiled and was clearly interested.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"What do you two do when you're together?" she questioned, getting into the conversation. I hadn't seen her look so excited about something before.

"Work, watch horror movies, dance, hold hands." I starting listing off the things Jonathan and I would do together.

"Dance and hold hands? You two so like each other." She happily chirped. I smiled at her enthusiasm. It had been a long time since we talked about boys with each other.

"Mom, its…"

"Don't say it's nothing, because it's not. I can tell when two people are starting to fall in love. I have this love-radar thing. This is a good thing for you Liv. You need to move on with your life. Don't get me wrong, I wish you would have found someone back in North Dakota that you really liked but at least you found someone."

"He's still my therapist."

"Find a new therapist if that bothers you."

"I don't want to find a new therapist. I think it bothers Karl."

"Then don't find a new therapist and at this point who cares what Karl has to say. Give Dr. Crane a chance Liv. I think you may be happy with him."

…

"Thank God that is over with." I told Jonathan as I washed dishes and he dried. I wasn't sure why he had agreed to help with this chore but I appreciated it. I hated washing dishes but with my OCD I could never just leave them in the sink.

Christmas Day had come and gone. Jonathan had joined the family for our family festivities as I had invited him to do. My parents had, for the most part been gracious. My father clearly wanted me to go back to North Dakota with them.

My mother and grandmother managed to tell me several times that I needed to go out with Jonathan. _'It would be nice to have a doctor in the family. Plus you need to get over your fear of relationships.'_ Grandma Vera had insisted all in front of Jonathan. He seemed amused by my grandmother's attempts. Brian managed to call me a leech and several other things during the day but Jonathan was close by and tried to contradict everything my annoying older brother had said.

"Your family seems like nice people; well except that brother of yours." Jonathan commented.

"They are." I agreed. "Brian's just a 'scrooge'."

"Your parents seem a little overbearing though." He continued. He was right; my dad had actually gone as far as to offer to move out here with me, while I was working on my degree. I thanked him but I didn't want him out here all the time. Between Jonathan and Karl, I would have help if I needed it.

"They can be. They're not bad people. They just have a hard time accepting that I'm not their baby anymore." I told him. The conversation with my mother the night before kept going through my head along with the "almost" kiss. "So I was thinking, we've been watching a lot of horror movies lately. What do you say we watch one of my movies after we're done with this?"

"Crap, you're not going to make me watch one of those idiotic chick-flicks are you?" Jonathan asked.

"No, I was thinking a comedy or something like that." I answered.

"My horror movies have comedy in them." He muttered to himself. I smiled and looked at him for a second before going back to our chore. I wish I could read his mind. I wanted to know what he thought about me and our 'relationship'.

"Thanks for all your help. I've really appreciated having you here." I thanked him. I didn't know why but his presence really seemed to help make the family gatherings easier on me. My mind wandered back to my conversation with my mother the night before. Maybe she was right.

"No problem. It sure beats staying home and working on lesson plans." He smirked. "When will your family go back to North Dakota?" he asked.

"Tomorrow evening. I'll probably see them tomorrow morning and Karl will drive them to the airport about five."

…..

After 10 minutes we had finished with dishes and were settling down on my couch to watch some random chick-flick.

"I can't believe you're making me watch this. My horror films are far more entertaining and educational than this." Jonathan groaned half-way through the movie. I smiled and laughed.

"How are people's heads being ripped off by zombies educational?" I questioned, wondering what he would say.

"Well maybe not that educational but it's still more entertaining." He commented before he rolled his eyes at my movie. I let out a small laugh before moving a little closer to him. I was nervous. I hadn't initiated any form of touch since the rape. I leaned my head against his shoulder and put my hand on his lap. My heart started to race. I wasn't used to being so close to anyone much less a man.

Jonathan seemed surprised by my actions but he wrapped his arm around me. There was a side of me that wanted to jump up and run but at the same time the touch felt… nice. We sat there for a few minutes. I was no longer interested in the movie. I looked from the TV screen back up to Jonathan. My eyes met his. He had that same mesmerizing look in his eyes. My heart pounded. Our faces inched closer together until our lips met in a kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! Ok, I thought I would be able to update sooner than this but that obviously didn't happen. So sorry! Thanks to everyone who is following/favoriting my story! A special thanks to those who are reviewing:_

**forgetmenotflowers:** _haha I know! It's about time. Little bit more romance in this chapter. I hope you'll like it. :D Thanks again for the review!_

**AlainHotCoco1:** _Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you like this story so much. (Love the stalker comment! Haha) Sorry for the lack of updates, I update as soon as I'm able to. I hope you will enjoy this chapter! :D_

**EleanorBlythe:** _Thanks for the review! I wouldn't worry about their relationship just yet. This story is a tragedy but we haven't hit that point yet. I'm glad that you enjoy my story. I hope you will enjoy this chapter! :D_

**Megushie:** _I'm not sure what the '!' but I assume it means you like it! Thanks for the review! :D_

**xxyangxx2006:** _haha, your comment made me smile. There's a little bit more romance in this chapter. I hope you'll like it. Thanks for the review! :D_

_Ok. I think I got everyone. Thanks again to all my readers. I hope you all will enjoy this chapter. I made this chapter a little longer to try to make up for the lack of updates. There's a bit of a time jump so I hope it's not too confusing. Please review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks!—Lin_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any Batman character's in this story nor do I own The Grudge. This story is just for fun and entertainment. I'm not making any money off of it._

…_._

I kept my eyes closed as I listened to the soft buzz coming from the TV. I yawned a bit before snuggling further into my pillow. My eyes flew open when I felt the 'pillow' pull me closer to him.

I looked up and jumped slightly when I saw a face in front of mine. Jonathan's eyes fluttered open when he felt my sudden movement. I studied him a moment more before glancing over at the TV. I looked back at him and our eyes met.

"Good morning." He softly whispered before pressing his lips against mine.

"Good morning." I breathlessly replied. My mind quickly raced through the night before. The chick-flick Jonathan didn't want to watch, the cuddling, the kiss and eventually falling asleep next to another on my couch. I couldn't believe how close we were last night; how close to each other we still were.

"Sleep well?" Jonathan questioned. I nodded. I think I was still in shock. I hadn't expected to fall asleep next to him or wake up to him.

"Yes. You?" I inquired. He nodded before placing his hand behind my head and pulling me into another kiss. I felt Jonathan's arm wrap around me a little tighter while he place his second hand on my waist. It didn't bother me until I felt his hand slip under my shirt and I felt his warm fingers touch my bare skin. I jumped and was out of his arms. He quickly held his hands up, letting me know he was backing off.

"I'm sorry, Liv. I'm not going to hurt you." He calmly stated. "I was just in the moment."

It felt like my heart was running a marathon but after a few seconds I was able to get it to calm down.

"What are we doing?" I asked him. My head was spinning. I was confused. I had no idea where our relationship was going. I mean, I had spent a few nights at his apartment but he always slept in his room while I slept on the couch. Jonathan had never spent the night at my apartment. I hadn't fallen asleep in his arms before and the kiss…well we obviously hadn't done that before either.

"What do you mean?" Jonathan inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I think it's obvious." His eyes pierced into mine. I nodded. I knew what he meant. There wasn't any point of 'beating around the bush'. I didn't mind the idea of having a relationship with him. Jonathan had been a great friend, therapist and boss. He wasn't just those three things anymore. I wanted a closer relationship with him. However, there was still one matter I didn't know if I could ever overcome.

"You realize, if we start a relationship, that I may…I may not ever be able to…" I started to say when I felt Jonathan put his hand on top of mine.

"Our relationship was never based off of anything sexual, Liv. I understand that you need time." he softly said.

"What if I'm not ever…?" I started to ask when he cut me off.

"That's not important at this point."

"It might be at some point." I tried to point out.

"Maybe…but as of right now, it's not. Let's just take things as they come. We don't have to be in any hurry." He answered. His hand held mine as we continued our conversation.

"Couldn't a relationship with me, hurt you though? I mean, you're my professor, my psychiatrist and my boss." I questioned. Jonathan's hand tightened on mine while he thought for a moment.

"You're over 18. There is no law saying I can't date you because you're my secretary. You are no longer my student, unless you're signed up for one of my classes and you haven't told me. I don't believe you will always need me as your psychiatrist. I've already told you this but you have made amazing progress with your therapy." He reminded me. "We're not doing anything wrong."

"I don't want to get you in trouble." I emphasized. "I just…"

"I'm not going to get in trouble. If it makes you uncomfortable, I know other psychiatrists that could…"

"No, I don't want to see anyone else." I told him, placing a hand on his knee. His eyes never left mine as he nodded. He seemed to know I was going to say 'no' to that suggestion.

"Ok." He answered. He watched as my thoughts consumed me for a moment. "Are you ok with this?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it's just; I haven't been in a steady relationship in a really long time."

"What happened with your last boyfriend?" Jonathan inquired.

"I don't think I have all the details but I know Grandma Vera would flirt with him a lot. I wasn't in the room when it happened but from what Chris told me, she tried to kiss him and he ran out of the door. Later that night he called to tell me my crazy grandmother was too much for him and that he wanted to break up." I shrugged. It had been a while since I had thought about that instance. I didn't blame Chris. If his grandmother had tried to kiss me, I'd be grossed out too. However, I had been pretty heartbroken at the time.

"I'm not too worried about that. I think I'm scary enough that your grandmother wouldn't try anything like that with me." Jonathan smirked, amused by my story.

"You're not that scary." I smiled as he squeezed my hand. A sly smile spread across his lips before he winked at me.

"Yes I am." He replied with a grin. I let out a soft laugh.

"No," I told him, "I think you're wonderful." I pressed my lips against his in another kiss. I didn't realize how true his words were and how naïve I was being.

"Can I get you some coffee?" I asked Jonathan after the kiss.

"Sure." He replied. I gave him another smile before I stood up from the couch and made my way to the kitchen.

"So what is up with all the plants?" Jonathan asked once the coffee was brewing. My apartment was filled with plants; I had at least 5 in the kitchen/ dining room area. I probably looked like some kind of weird plant hoarder to him.

"I wasn't always a psychology major." I started, "Before the rape, I was planning on majoring in biology. I wanted to be a botanist."

"Really?" he asked somewhat surprised. I knew he had seen my grades and I probably didn't seem like someone who would love biology. "Why didn't you pursue your education in botany?"

"After the rape, I had a hard time understanding my thoughts. I couldn't concentrate on my classes like I used to. I didn't understand why. Then I decided if I could understand myself then maybe I could concentrate on things better. That's when I decided to study psychology." I explained.

"So you got your Bachelors in Psychology and came out here to get your Masters?" he questioned. I nodded. "You never said that psychology wasn't your number one interest." Jonathan commented.

"Is that a deal breaker for you?" I questioned, wondering why he had taken interest in this.

"No, not at all. I'm just surprised. I don't thin you've ever mentioned an interest in biology. I had looked at your transcript before hiring you. I thought I had looked at the classes you had taken. I don't remember what they were though." He seemed to be deep in thought when our coffee finished. We talked a little bit more before we heard a knock on the door.

I looked up to clock and realized that it was 9:30.

"It's my mother. She said she would stop by around now." I explained. He nodded. He looked a little disappointed.

"Ok. We can continue this conversation later." He stated. "I need to head to my apartment, anyway."

"Will I see you tonight? We can watch on of your movies." I tried to bribe him. He smirked.

"Yes, I'll come over tonight."

…

"Dr. Crane was wearing the same clothes he was wearing last night." My mother smiled. "Did he…spend the night?"

"Yeah, we fell asleep while watching a movie." I answered with a smile. Her smile grew wider.

"Did anything else happen?" she inquired. She clearly wanted to gossip. I thought for a moment. Jonathan wouldn't like it if I was gossiping about him. I knew enough about him to know that. So I did what anyone else in my position would do. I told my mother everything.

"Well, we kissed." I gossiped with a stupid, goofy grin. Mother's eyes widened as did her smile.

"Really?" she squeaked. I nodded. I felt cheerful. A feeling I hadn't had in a really long time. "So did anything else happen last night?"

"No." I answered. "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to…After the rape I've just lost interest in…" I stuttered.

"Have you talked about your concerns with him?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He knew I needed time and not to worry about it."

"He sounds like a good, reasonable man to me. I'm glad you are giving him a chance."

"Me too." I smiled before taking another sip of coffee. I knew, with the therapy, I was starting to do better. Maybe, if I was lucky, I could start living a somewhat normal life again.

…

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

After telling Mrs. Higham 'good morning' and saying 'goodbye' to Olivia, I made my way towards my apartment.

'You seem happy.' Scarecrow commented. I was anxious to get back to my place. I had a copy of Olivia's transcript in my office from when I was debating on hiring her.

"I've made great progress. Olivia is almost mine.' I replied.

'You look like you have something else in mind for our sweet little 'Miss Higham'. What are you conjuring up now?'

"Her original major was botany. It means she's had interest in the sciences. If I can get her interested in chemistry then I can get her interested in pharmacology."

'What are you going to do if you can get her interested in those things?'

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"So what's going on between you and Dr. Crane?" Karl asked. After he dropped off my family at the airport, he stopped by to pick up a pair of gloves he had 'conveniently' left behind.

"He's my friend." I shrugged. Karl made it clear he didn't approve of me spending so much time with Jonathan.

"It doesn't seem like you two are 'just friends'."

"Karl, I love you but again, you're my cousin, not my father. Anything that's happening between me and Dr. Crane isn't your concern. I can take care of myself."

"So there is something more going on between you two?"

"Why does it matter to you? It's my life, my choice."

"Because I don't think his intentions are as sincere as you think they are."

"Why do you think that?"

"Think about it Liv. He's your therapist. He knows you're vulnerable."

"I'm not that vulnerable."

"You are spending way too much time with him. You're becoming dependent on him."

"He's helping me become independent. You don't know what goes on in our therapy sessions, you're not there. He's done so much for me."

"So you feel like you owe him something?" Karl asked.

"No. I want to be with him." I said in an annoyed tone. Who did Karl think he was? He had no right to tell me what to do or who to be with. Karl went to say something else when there was a knock on the door.

"Do yourself a favor, distance yourself from Dr. Crane." Karl warned before opening the door. Jonathan looked slightly surprised when Karl was the one that opened the door. Karl sent Jonathan an angry glance before he left my apartment.

"I don't think the men in your family like me very much." Jonathan commented, closing the door behind him.

"Well, I think if my dad had his way I would never grow up. Brian's just a jerk to everyone and I'm not entirely sure what Karl's deal is." I tried to explain. "My mother and grandmother sure like you though."

Jonathan sent me a smirk before giving me a small kiss.

"So what are we watching tonight?" I questioned, wondering what movie he was going to make me sit through tonight.

"_The Grudge_ but there is something I want to talk to you about first." Jonathan stated before nodding over to the couch.

"Ok, what?" I inquired before we sat on the couch.

"Are you more interested in psychology or botany?" he questioned.

"I think they're both pretty interesting."

"But psychology isn't your main interested?"

"It is interesting, I just…"

"I want you to talk to an academic supervisor. I think you should go back to studying your plants."

"I already have a Bachelor's in Behavioral sciences. It seems pointless and expensive to change the course of my education now."

"Well, how about this next semester, you sign up for one of the university's biology classes along with what you've already signed up to do. Just 'test the waters' a little bit, if you would rather do that than psychology then it's what you should do. If you would rather do botany, then do that."

"It's a lost dream now. I'm not sure if I even remember the basics."

"That's fine. You asked me a while ago to help you gain confidence. I think if you do this, you could prove to yourself that you're capable."

"You've seen my grades. I'm not smart enough." I told him. I had given up that dream a long time ago. I didn't see the point of trying to get it back. Jonathan reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"This is your transcript. Before the rape you got 'A's' and 'B's' all in your biology classes." Jonathan commented.

"That was a long time ago."

"It wasn't that long ago. I suggest you try it and see what you think at the end of next semester." Jonathan suggested.

"What makes you think I can do this?" I asked wondering why this was so important to him.

"Because I think its what you would rather do. I'll be here to help you when you need it, you just need to try." He answered. I smiled. I felt lucky to have such a wonderful man looking out of me.

…

"So, why are you teaching me this in your kitchen?" I asked Jonathan. We were in his kitchen, playing with some kind of chemicals. He had told me what they were but I couldn't remember what he had said for the life of me.

"You asked for my help and the lab was closed." He commented. A little over a year had passed since Jonathan and I had started to date. I was still his secretary but I was no longer a psychology student. I was right it was expensive changing back to my biology major; however I had a lot of fun with it. I wasn't sure why but I found plants comforting, far more comforting than people.

I was taking a chemistry class and Jonathan was helping me out with some lab work I was needed to do. I almost wished Jonathan was a chemistry teacher. I learned more from him than I did from my professor. He just explained things to me in a way that made sense.

My grades were now up a tiny bit, I got a lot of 'C's' with a few 'B's' scattered in there. So I was doing better. I worked hard for the grades I got and I was proud of my few 'B's'.

Jonathan talked me through the chemical names again before we got started on the lab work. I almost felt a 'mad scientist' conjuring up some kind of chemical potion. I wasn't very good at chemistry but I was had fun with it.

"I swear you know everything." I complimented Jonathan as we started to put our project away. "How is it you know so much about chemistry?"

"My specialty is psychopharmacolog." Jonathan reminded me. "It requires a lot of chemistry."

I nodded. That had to be true. Jonathan was like a walking encyclopedia. If I ever had a question, Jonathan usually always had the answer. I couldn't help but wonder how I had managed to snatch such a wonderful, intelligent man. What could he possibly see in me?

"So, I've been thinking," Jonathan started to say, "you are always over here or I'm always over your place. It's not really convenient for either of us. You're things are always at your place while mine are here. How would you feel if I asked you to move in with me?"

My jaw dropped slightly. I had no idea he had been thinking about me moving in with him. We had been dating for a year now. I usually slept over at his apartment and occasionally he would sleep at mine. I was used to waking up in his arms in the morning, now. I guess I should have seen this coming.

"Liv?" Jonathan questioned, pulling me out of my thoughts. My eyes met his. "It's alright if you don't want to. I just figured it could save us some money and we wouldn't have to go between the two places."

"It's fine. We practically live together anyway. I think it would be a good idea."

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

A couple of days passed since I asked Olivia to move in with me. It had taken me a while to convince her sleeping in the same bed as me was alright and once she got used to it she didn't seem to mind it. We still hadn't had any kind of sexual intercourse but that was alright.

Within the last year I had managed to dominate her mind. I controlled a lot of what she thought. I had managed to convince her to take her biology classes and now I was working on getting her interested in chemistry and pharmacology. I had a lot of plans for her when I managed to peak her interested in those things.

She was making a lot of progress. She was at a good healthy weight and her grades were starting to come up, even without my help. Olivia had potential and she was starting to turn into a nice little minion. Her confidence was starting to come up, though she still had some issues there. I was changing that slightly in our therapy sessions. We had made a lot of progress but there was still a long way to go.

I was in my office, grading some papers when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." I called, figuring it was Olivia or a student with some questions. Once the door opened I looked up to see Karl.

"Mr. Finch?" I questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to you about Olivia." Karl stated before sitting in the chair across from my desk. I didn't care for the man. He was constantly trying to undo everything I had done with Olivia. He had noticed my extra interest in his cousin and he didn't like it.

"What about her?" I asked, not wanting to waste any of my time. I had things that needed my attention. This guy was just in the way.

"How is her mental stability?"

"What do you mean?"

"How is her mental stability? Do you think she could handle testifying in a court hearing?" Karl questioned.

"Where are you going with this?" I inquired.

"They haven't caught him yet but the man we believe to be Olivia's rapist has been spotted here in Gotham. If they're able to find and arrest him, do you think she could testify against him or do you think it would set her back?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:** _Hello everyone! Thanks so much to all of you who are reading/following/favoring my story! A special thanks to everyone who is reviewing:_

**AlainHotCoco**1-_I'm so glad that you're enjoying my story! Thanks so much for the review; it made me smile! As far as Jonathan loving her by the end of the story goes, I'm afraid that you'll just have to keep reading. Though I think we start seeing a hint of his feelings for her in this chapter. I think you'll like where this is headed. Thanks again for the review! :D_

**forgetmenotflowers**-_haha I think you will love what ends up happening to the rapist. It's still a few chapters away but I think you'll enjoy it when we come to it. Thanks so much for your review, as always it made me smile! :D_

**PlaguingYourDreams**-_Here's your update! I hope you'll enjoy! Thanks so much for the review! :D_

**Megushie**-_haha yeah, that probably does get annoying. Sorry! If I had my way I'd update every single day. Unfortunately, real life, school and work, get in the way. __ I do update as soon as I'm able to though. Thanks so much for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and I'll try to get the next one up soon. :D_

**EleanorBlythe**-_We haven't hit the tragedy part of the story yet but I guess in a way we could definitely count Katie's death as a tragedy. I'm glad that you're enjoying the romance part. I'm pretty fond of romance myself. I hope you will enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much for the review! :D_

**TC Stark**-_Love your comments and suggestions! Thanks so much for the reviews! :D_

**ZennyZootSuit**-_Haha, I think you'll be 'slightly' annoyed with Karl in this chapter too. Poor guy, he thinks he's helping but he's not. You may like Jonathan a little bit better in this chapter. I'm glad that you've started reading this story and I'm happy that you're enjoying it. I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter and the rest of my story! Thanks so much for the review! :D_

**Tonya**: _Hey! No problem! I'm a week away from finals myself. Between that and work, life is super busy. Thanks so much for the review! Good luck on your finals! :D_

_Ok, I think that is everyone. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update in the next week or two since my finals are coming up but after that is my break which means a lot more updates! Yay! I promise I will update ASAP! Thanks again to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing and favoring my story. I appreciate it! Please leave a review if you have a minute. Constructive criticism is always welcome!—Lin_

…

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

I stared at Karl for a second. The man who had raped Olivia was in the Gotham? Olivia was making progress in her therapy. I wasn't sure if she was ready to face this psychologically. It could easily set her back mentally. I didn't want or need that and my girlfriend didn't deserve it either.

"Are you sure he's in Gotham?" I questioned. I needed all the information I could get, if I was going to help in this proceeding.

"He was spotted down at the docks three days ago. There have been two rapes, both in a crowded parking lot, in a large truck, similar to what Olivia described. We're still waiting to see if the DNA from Olivia's rape out kit matches the DNA from these other two rapes." Karl informed me while taking some photographs out of his briefcase. "This is him. The only difference is Olivia described him with a beard. I'm certain it's the same man."

"Well I suggest we wait to say anything to Olivia until you know for sure. There's no point in stressing her out any more than we have to." I told him. I looked down at the pictures Karl had spread across my desk. My eyes fell upon a drawing of the same man with a short beard. This is what Olivia saw when her virginity had been ripped from her?

"I agree. Assuming the DNA matches, what do you purpose we do? Do you think she can handle this?" Karl asked. I thought for a moment longer.

"I'm not sure. We don't want to set her back. Psychologically it could send her into a repercussion. The last thing she needs is a repetition of her anorexia." I stated. I looked back down at the pictures of her attacker.

'Damn, not only did she lose her virginity in an ugly way, she lost it to an ugly man.' Scarecrow commented. I nodded in agreement. I hadn't really thought about what Olivia's rapist looked like. His appearance was similar to a big, blonde grizzly bear; he had to be at least 6'5" and probably weighed close to 280. Someone as short and small as Olivia would have a difficult time trying to fight him off.

Karl reached back into his briefcase and pulled out more pictures.

"This is what Olivia looked like before and after the rape. You know what she looked like after the baby was born and the anorexia had taken hold of her." Karl said opening a file and showing me pictures of Olivia I hadn't seen before.

She had been a cute girl before the rape. A little pudgy but she was very healthy looking. Her brown eyes were filled with life. I was just starting to see that 'light' return. My eyes wandered from the pictures of Olivia after the rape. Her face was badly bruised with a busted lip and two black eyes. I glanced through the other pictures quickly.

I felt anger start to seep through my veins though my face stayed straight and calm. Olivia belonged to _me._ This man had touched and hurt her. I was going to make sure he paid for the damage he had done to _my_ girl.

"Why did you come here? You don't like or trust me." I questioned Karl. It wasn't like him to include me in fact he usually tried to keep me away from her. That didn't work too well for him of course. If anything it just brought Olivia closer to me.

"Because despite the fact that we don't like each other; we have one thing in common. Olivia. We both want what is in her best interest. I don't know why but she trusts you. You're her therapist; you know what she can handle and what she can't. I want her to have justice but not at her expense. All I want from you is to know if she's mentally stable."

"Let's wait and make sure that this is the man that raped her. Once we get that confirmation, I'll speak with her. I'll determine at that point if she will be stable enough to handle a courtroom." I told him. Karl nodded and starting putting the files and pictures back into his brief case.

Karl went to say something when I heard Olivia moving around outside. I looked up at the clock, to realize she was back from her chemistry lab.

"Jonathan, I…" Olivia chirped happily as she entered the door way. She stopped talking when she saw Karl. She looked between the two of us for a moment. "Ok, you two are never together, what's going on?" she questioned.

"Nothing, I just needed to speak with Dr. Crane for a moment." Karl told her. The man was going to lose her trust with his lies. I wouldn't have to turn her against him, he was doing that himself. At the moment, though, that wasn't important. I didn't want to lose the progress I had made with her. I had to make sure I was the one that told her.

Olivia went to say something to her cousin when Karl's phone went off. He looked at the cell phone before answering it.

"Karl Finch." The man said into the device. Olivia turned her attention to me. She gave me a quizzical look. I sent her a reassuring nod before I turning back to Karl. I wondered if that call would tell us if that man really was Olivia's rapist. After a couple of seconds Karl glanced over to me and nodded slightly, letting me know the answer. I knew who my next victim would be.

…..

"So why did Karl stop by? It's been a while since he's been to the office." Olivia inquired as our fingers laced together. We were walking home from work and this clearly wasn't the right venue to tell her what Karl had told me.

"I'll tell you when we get home." I said, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Ok." She nodded, appeased for the moment. We walked in silence for a few minutes. I had to come up with the right calculation of how to tell her. A repetition of the anorexia wouldn't be good. I needed to come up with a formula that would prevent that. Another thing I had to consider was that voice that had been in her head when I met her. The medication was working but the shock from this particular news could help it reemerge.

'What's so bad about her having a voice in her head? You have me in your head and you're doing alright.' Scarecrow mentioned.

"It's completely different." I answered.

'How so?'

"The voice in her heard was trying to kill her. It tried to fill her head with guilt for things that were clearly not her fault. That voice caused her to be a danger to herself. You're not a danger to me." I replied.

'What am I then?"

"Annoying." I promptly answered before Olivia started to speak.

"So, what should we do with all my plants? I have at least 20 of them and I don't think there's enough room to bring them all when I've moved in." She inquired, changing the subject. Olivia was very attached to her flowers, herbs and other greenery. There simply wasn't enough room to bring them all to my apartment. Even if there was room I didn't want that many plants around.

"You could take a couple to the office." I suggested. "They may add a small therapeutic touch."

"That's true." She answered. "Do you think I could be allowed to take some to the greenhouse on campus?"

"You can ask."

….

When we were home Olivia started to work on dinner while I tried to focus on grading papers. There were a few scenarios I wanted to think through before I told Olivia. I needed to make sure I was the one who told her about her rapist being in town. I didn't trust Karl to handle this situation as delicately as it needed to be.

I had been sitting at my desk for about forty-five minutes when I heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Olivia called out. Figuring it was nothing important I continued on with my work, until I heard Karl's voice. I stood up and made my way to the front room. That idiot was going to cause problems.

**Olivia's P.O.V **

'_Maybe it's time to start considering it.'_ My mind suggested while I prepared dinner. I was still nervous with the idea but honestly I never felt as safe with anyone as I did with Jonathan. He hadn't pushed the idea of sex on me. In fact, he never mentioned it. I was amazed with how incredibly patient he was being with me. '_It's been 3 years since the rape. It wouldn't hurt to try. He's the only person I've ever wanted to make love to.'_

I have had this conversation with myself several times now. I argued with myself. I knew what I wanted but I was afraid. Every time I would think about initiating any sexual activity with Jonathan, the rape would flash through my mind. I hated that. I hated how such a horrible memory and act could prevent me from sharing something so precious with the person I wanted to be with.

My mother was thrilled when I told her Jonathan and I were officially a couple. Grandma Vera was ecstatic as well. My dad wasn't exactly happy but if he had, had his way I don't think I would have ever left North Dakota. Hell, he probably would lock me in my room for the rest of my life if he had his way. Brian was…well Brian, there wasn't much need to expand on that thought.

I had put dinner in the oven when I heard a knock on the door. Jonathan and I never had company over. This wasn't normal.

"I'll get it." I called to Jonathan before walking over to the door. I looked through the peephole to see my cousin and proceeded to open the door.

"Karl?" I questioned as my cousin walked into the apartment. My mind went back to this afternoon when I found Karl speaking with Jonathan in my boyfriend's office. Something was up.

"Are you alright?" Karl asked me. I had no idea why he was here. Other than this afternoon, a few weeks had passed since I last saw Karl. We didn't talk much since I started to officially date Jonathan. He made it clear he didn't approve of my decision so I made it clear he wasn't welcome in my life until he could accept my decision.

"What are you talking about?" I asked just as Jonathan came in. Karl's eyes left mine as he looked towards my boyfriend.

"You haven't talked to her yet?" Karl questioned as Jonathan joined the group.

"No, I haven't." Jonathan replied.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking between the two. These two were keeping secrets from me. That was both confusing and worrisome. These two pretty much hated each other. Why were they suddenly keeping things from me?

"Liv, let's sit on the couch." Jonathan suggested, putting his hand on my back and leading me towards the couch.

"You said you were going to talk to her." Karl stated, clearly pissed.

"I am going to tell her. You shouldn't be here trying to rush things."

"I have a deadline." Karl responded.

"Olivia's sanity is more important to me than your deadline." Jonathan calmly replied.

"Ok, you two, what's going on?" I asked. I was getting annoyed with the bickering going on between the two. I was getting nervous, a feeling I hadn't felt too much in the last little while. Why did Jonathan think this could cost me my sanity? Why did Karl show up at the office today and why was he here now? None of this made any sense…unless...

"Karl, I think you should go." Jonathan said, turning to Karl and bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Why? I'm the one who brought this to your attention."

"I understand that but I have to assess the situation. You're a distraction and you don't belong here."

Karl opened his mouth to argue before her looked at me for a second. "Fine." He finally said, "I'll come by the office tomorrow." A few seconds later, Karl left the apartment, closing the door behind me.

"That imbecile is causing more problems then he's worth." Jonathan muttered before he turned back to me.

"Jonathan?" I asked. I just wanted to know what was going on.

"Liv, I want to about your rape." Jonathan calmly said, his hand tightened on mine. We hadn't really discussed the rape for close to six months now. It would come up every now and then but we hadn't had a real conversation about it for a long time.

"Ok." I answered, very nervous about what was going on. Jonathan breathed in a deep breath before taking off his glasses.

"Have you thought about what you would want to do if the man who raped you was ever caught?" he questioned. I stared at him for a moment, sinking in the question.

"He's been caught? The man that raped me has been caught?" I asked. I felt a relieved feeling wash over me but that was short lived.

"No, not yet, Karl came by my office today to tell me that he's been sighted in Gotham. He wanted to know if I thought you were mentally ready to handle a trial." Jonathan explained. My heart sunk. Damn, for a moment I thought that bastard had been arrested. I wanted to see him rot in jail, he deserved that. That man had robbed me of my virginity, my innocence, my ability to study and think. He had also robbed me of my ability to have a normal relationship with the man I loved.

Anger started to fill my veins. Why hadn't Jonathan told me about this before? Why had he delayed it? If the man who had raped me was in the city then I think I deserved to know.

"Why did you wait to tell me?" I questioned, trying to keep my anger in check.

"Because I care about you and wanted to make sure you were told in a way that wouldn't upset you." He answered. I thought for a moment. How could this news not upset me? How could he think him not telling me immediately wouldn't upset me? Was there anything else he was keeping from me?

"I need to go." My voice shook as I suddenly jumped off of the couch. I grabbed my coat and was out the door.

"Olivia!" I heard Jonathan call just as I closed the door behind me. My body shook with anger and fear. It felt like the buildings and streets around me were melting into a giant puddle. Like my world had been shattered somehow. I was irrational as I quickly walked the streets of Gotham. I was walking in the city, alone, after dark where my rapist was lurking.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** _Hello everyone! Phew, so glad finals are over for now. I apologize for taking so long in updating. Here's a little present from me to you this holiday season. I even made it an extra-long chapter. Thanks so much to everyone reading/following/favorting my story. I appreciate it and hope you will continue to enjoy my story. A special thanks to those who are reviewing:_

**ZabuzasGirl:** _Here's your update! I hope you'll enjoy it. Thanks for the review. :D_

**Megushie:** _I hope you did well on your exams and I hope you're enjoying your break! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the review! :D_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _I thought you'd like that part. We're starting to get more into the romantic part of the story. I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter. I think you'll particularly like the chapter after this one. Thanks for the review! :D_

**AlainHotCoco1:** _Thanks for the review! I think you'll like what happens to the rapist in the end. I hope you'll like this new chapter. :D_

**ZenyZootSuit:** _I think you'll like the first thing Olivia says. She pretty much agrees with you. I hope you'll continue to like Jonathan in this chapter. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll like this chapter. :D_

**Estelle Lumene:** _Hi! To answer your question, I have taken some psychology classes but I don't formally study psychology, it's not my major. I do have some experience in mental health which is kind of the same thing. Thanks for all the compliments! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story and I hope you will continue to. As far as a happy ending or sad ending, I think you'll just need to read to find out. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. :D_

**Musicaddict1:** _Thanks for reading my story! I'm glad that you're enjoying it. Thanks for the compliments and for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter. :D_

_Well I think that's everyone. Again I'm sorry it took so long to update. Finals really drained me and I went through a slight writer's block. Now I'm back on track and will hopefully be able to update a few times a week until classes start back up. I'll try to have the next chapter out Wednesday-Thursday. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers!-Lin_

…

**Olivia's P.O.V (continued)**

'Well that was a dumb Liv. You should know better than to walk out like that.' I scolded myself. 'How dare he? Jonathan should know better than to keep something like that from me.' I thought angrily. 'Jonathan wouldn't keep things from me unless he had a reason.' I tried to reassure myself after a few moments I needed to calm down or else I was going to do something stupid and/or reckless. 'Still, he should have just told me.'

My eyes glanced down the dark street. I hugged my coat closer. There were several men around. I could feel heat of their eyes on me. I could hear my heart pounding. I started to turn to head back to the apartment when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart jumped while my mind panicked.

Who the hell was touching me and why? Never mind I didn't want to know why. I sharply turned and went to slap whoever had touched me, when a strong hand stopped me and wrapped around my wrist. My eyes widened when I realized Jonathan was behind me.

"That was a very idiotic move, Olivia." Jonathan sternly told me. His face was calm but there was a severe look in his eyes. "Don't ever pull something like that again." He warned. Relief rushed through my body as I basically threw myself into Jonathan's arms. My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling myself closer to him. The anger I had felt towards him had evaporated…for the moment.

"Jonathan." I gasped, grateful he was here. His arms wrapped around me protectively before he rested his head against mine for a moment.

"Let's go." Jonathan nodded his head back towards his apartment.

"Ok." I agreed before we started walking back to the apartment. Jonathan's hand barely touched mine when I remembered something.

"Crap! I left the oven on." I told him, panicking slightly.

"The timer went off as I was about to come after you. I turned the oven off before I left." Jonathan informed me while his hand wrapped around mine. I nodded as the panic subdued. The last thing I wanted to do was set the apartment on fire. We walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Your reaction was very different from what I thought it would be." Jonathan stated. "Are you alright?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I've always hoped he'd be caught. Now, he's here. What if he's not caught? What if, he's never caught?" I asked. My mind was wandering. I was still in a bit of shock. I had always wondered what would happen if he was caught. I always imagined myself courageously standing up to him in court. I wanted my rapist to know he didn't ruin my life. I didn't want to be a victim anymore.

However, I was afraid. If he was caught, I would have to relive the rape several times in front of a judge, a jury and/or anyone else I would need to talk to. I didn't want to go back to that mindset. I didn't want to go back to the way I was before the therapy with Jonathan. I didn't want to feel the guilt and self-loathing again.

'_Olivia.'_ I heard a deep voice whisper mockingly. I jumped slightly. I didn't want the voice to return either. My body started to involuntarily shake as fear filled my mind. I hadn't heard the voice in a little over a year. It was starting to peak through like a dagger slowly cutting a small hole into my mind. I couldn't allow that to happen. If nothing else Jonathan wouldn't allow that to happen.

'The fears are only in my mind._'_ I tried to remind myself. _'_Don't let them control you.'

"Olivia?" Jonathan questioned. He had been watching me closely and he noticed the shake in my hand. He abruptly stopped walking and calmly talked to me. He seemed to know what was happening. "It's just a small episode. Breathe, stay calm and talk to me. Tell me what's going on."

I nodded and followed his direction. I focused on calmly breathing until my body stopped shaking. When I didn't say anything, Jonathan softly spoke me through one of the exercises we went through during my therapy sessions. After a few minutes, my mind had slowed down.

"Olivia?" Jonathan asked again. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to him. Our eyes met as I felt my nerves start to calm down.

"I'm ok." I managed to choke out. "Let's go home." All I wanted to do was go home. I needed to sink this information in. I needed to gain control of my mind again.

Jonathan watched me for a moment. "Ok." He finally said after a few moments of silence. His hand reached out for mine. I stared it his hand for a second before I took it. We weren't too far from the apartment.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Relief flooded over me once we were home. I let out a sigh as Jonathan closed the door behind us. Jonathan turned to me. It looked like he was trying to analyze the situation.

"Do you want to talk or do you want to try to eat dinner first?" Jonathan questioned, walking up to me.

"You can go ahead and eat. I'm not hungry." I said before sitting on the couch. Thoughts were starting to race through my head. I needed my mind to calm down.

"Liv," Jonathan started to state, "don't do this to yourself. You have come so far in your recovery. Don't throw away all the work we've done." I stared at him for a moment trying to understand what he was talking about. It took me a minute to realize he was worried about my anorexia returning.

"I'll eat tomorrow; I promise." I tried to reassure him. Jonathan stared at me for a moment. If my mind wasn't already so cluttered, I would wonder what he was thinking.

"I'm holding you to that promise Liv." He informed me. I nodded, already knowing he would.

"Sit with me a while?" I pleaded. If anyone could help it was Jonathan.

"Of course." He responded before he sat next to me. I instantly dived into his arms. I needed the comfort he could bring me. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure why I'm acting this way." I confessed after a few minutes. I felt a like a small child, helpless and a tad bit needy.

"You're going through a small repercussion." Jonathan told me, "Take your time. Do what you need to."

"This is small?" I questioned. I felt like I had just been hit by a freight train and he says it's small?

"Are you feeling suicidal?"

"No."

"Trust me. It's small. I've seen some pretty severe repercussions. Our focus needs to be to keep it small." Jonathan assured me. I nodded and snuggled into him a little more. Jonathan held me to him. "This is more how I expected you to react." Jonathan informed me. "What's on your mind?"

"My mind is going so fast. It's hard to put thoughts together." I muttered. I hated this. A few hours ago I was happily living life. Why did this damn bastard have so much control over me? Why did that event still affect me so greatly?

'_Pathetic.'_ I heard a harsh whisper.

What would I have to do, to make this idiotic fear go away? What did I have to do to move with my life?

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

'Olivia's not ready. There's no way she can handle a court room at this point.' I thought while I held Olivia close. I expected her to be upset but I didn't think she would take off like that. If anything, I thought she'd refuse to leave the apartment until her rapist was caught.

"Why does it still affect me so much?" Olivia questioned. There was a sad hint in her eyes. "It's been three years. It's pathetic."

I thought for a moment before taking off my glasses, set them on the coffee table and pulled Olivia closer.

"Your reaction is normal. There are women who are never able to truly overcome it. You have done well in your therapy. Just give it time." I answered.

"It's been over a year since we started my therapy. How…"

"And you've made progress. The best thing you can do is allow time for your mind to calm down. You'll continue your medication and we'll continue your therapy. You'll be fine, I promise." I interrupted her.

"I'm not sure that's true." She replied. She looked up from the ground. She looked scared.

"What's happening?" I asked. Her body started to shake again. Olivia hadn't done this in almost a year. Her episode must have been stronger than I had originally thought. I held on her a little tighter, trying to comfort her. "Liv?"

"The voice…" she trailed off.

"It's back?" I inquired. She nodded.

"It's only a whisper but…it's enough to freak me out." Olivia admitted.

'So what are you going to do?' Scarecrow chimed in.

"Where have you been all this time? Usually you've interrupted my thought process long before now." I acknowledged my alter ego.

'I've been busy.'

"You're a voice in my head, what could you possibly be busy with?"

'So what are you going to do about Olivia?' Scarecrow inquired.

"We can take care of this Liv. I'll give you a prescription for something slightly stronger. We will get rid of it." I reassured Olivia and ignored Scarecrow.

"Thank you." She whispered. I smirked slightly. Olivia relied on me more then she realized. She leaned and depended on me. I owned her mind.

"I'm tired of this." Olivia said suddenly. Her eyes weren't filled with sadness or fear now. She was tired and seemed a little pissed off. "How do I stop myself from having these episodes? How can I stop myself from allowing that man to have so much control over my life?"

"I don't think he has as much control over you as you think he does. You're just in shock." I reminded her. The repetition was getting annoying. However I didn't want to set her back any further. It would make more work for me and she wasn't in her right mind. I needed her to relax and to give her time. With the right approach, she'd back to the way I had molded her within a day or two.

We talked for a few more hours. Once Olivia had calmed down enough to sleep, I went back in my office. I set aside the papers I had been working on. I wrote the prescription for Olivia's new medication then pulled out my research for my fear toxin.

I had been working on my fear toxin for a few years now. It was coming along fine but not nearly as strong as I wanted it to be. Olivia's rapist was going to regret the day he hurt her.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

_Beep…beep…beep._

"Ugh." I groaned as I leaned further into Jonathan's warm body. I didn't want to get up but it was our last work day of the week. Yes! Tomorrow's Saturday! I can cuddle with Jonathan all day….yeah right. He would never go along with that. He's far too busy and isn't nearly as 'clingy' as I am. Still a day cuddling in bed with him would be nice...not going to happen.

I kept my eyes closed and laid there until I felt Jonathan slightly move to turn off the alarm.

"Come on, Liv." I heard Jonathan say. "It's time to get up."

I lifted my head off of Jonathan's chest slightly before giving him a small kiss.

"Are you sure we can't call in sick?" I questioned. "It would be nice to have time with just the two of us relaxing." I gave him another kiss, knowing he would tell me to get ready for work.

"Tempting but the rent doesn't pay itself. Come on. We need to get ready." Jonathan said before giving me yet another quick kiss and getting off of the bed. My mind felt a little fuzzy from the night before but my nerves were calm. It seemed the rest had done me some good.

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

'What are you doing? There is a naked woman in your shower. Get in there.' Scarecrow harassed. I rolled my eyes. Olivia had been in my shower every morning for a year now. She always dressed in the bathroom. Why did he think this morning would be any different?

"And do what, exactly? Olivia just found out her rapist is in town. I highly doubt she's interested in doing anything." I replied back. I would never allow such things to take control.

'I think she's more interested than you realize.'

"She'll let me know when she's ready. Until then, I'll back off." I instructed. I wasn't losing Olivia or the work I had done over this.

'I think its coming sooner than your realize.'

"What makes you so confident about that?"

'She left her clothes on the bed.'

**Olivia's P.O.V**

I turned off the water and pulled back the shower curtain. Once I was wrapped in a towel I looked around for my clothes.

This was odd. Where were my clothes? I always put them on the counter. I scanned the room for a moment before I remembered I had left them on the bed.

Crap! Well, maybe Jonathan is in his office putting papers in his brief case or in the kitchen taking the muffins out of the oven. I slowly opened the door and peeked out into the small hallway that joined the master bedroom with the bathroom. I couldn't see Jonathan but I saw my clothes right on the bed. I held the towel tightly to me as I slowly walked down the hallway. Maybe I could grab my clothes and be back in the bathroom before Jonathan noticed.

I had just left the hallway and was in the bedroom itself when I saw Jonathan. He was standing in front of the mirror on the dresser. He had just started to tie his tie when he spotted me in the mirror. I could feel the heat as my cheeks grow red as he turned to me. My hand clutched the towel slightly tighter.

"Forget your clothes?" Jonathan inquired as he turned back to the mirror.

"Yeah." I replied in embarrassment. Jonathan stayed calm, as he always did. It clearly wasn't as big a deal as I felt it was. I'm sure other couples changed their clothes in front of each other without any worry.

'This is stupid.' I thought. 'Come on Liv, he's your boyfriend. If he was going to hurt you, he would have done it by now.' I shook my head quickly put on my bra and underwear. I had started to put my pants on when Jonathan finished with his tie and walked over to me. He gave me a kiss as he placed a hand on my bare back. I felt a shiver go down my spine. My heart was racing out of fear and thrill.

When the kiss ended Jonathan went to say something when the timer went off for our muffins.

"I'll take those out." He said before he left the room.

'He's incredible.' I thought as I put on my shirt. 'Only he could turn something that was so awkward for me into something tender.'

'_You stupid girl, this relationship will never last.'_ I heard the whisper threateningly. I held my breath for a moment. Then something just snapped. I wasn't going to let that voice take control of me. It had no right to tell me what to do or not to do. This was my life. I knew I wanted and I knew who I wanted to be with. The best revenge I could ever inflict on my rapist and the voice, is to live a happy life with the one I loved.

After finishing my make-up and hair, I walked into the kitchen. Jonathan had the TV on with the news in the background. However, he was sitting at the table with a half-eaten muffin, reading something.

"Hey." I greeted him as I walked passed him to grab a plate. I told Jonathan I would eat today and I would keep that promise.

"You sure are cheerful all of a sudden." Jonathan observed before taking a sip of his coffee. "What's on your mind?"

"How soon do you think we could sell my contract to my apartment?" I questioned sitting across from him. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to go back and forth between the two apartments anymore. I want us to live together."

Jonathan thought for a moment. "List it on the internet and find out. We can start moving more of your things over here tonight, if you want." He replied. I smiled and reached for his hand. He set the paper he had been reading on the table and took it. His eyes were reassuring. Yes, this is what I wanted.

…

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

There was a side of that wondered if Olivia's bipolar was kicking in. She had agreed to move in with me a few weeks ago but she had made it obvious she was in any hurry. Until now that is.

'It's the bipolar.' I decided. 'She'll change her mind again.'

Olivia had come a long way in the last year. Today was the first time I had seen her in a towel and in the nude. She was very cautious when it came to displaying her body. A year ago she would have bolted into the bathroom and refused to come out until I was gone. She was a bit jittery at first but she seemed to relax into my touch. I had only managed to touch her bare skin on a few occasions and each of those times she bolted away from me. Scarecrow was right. I already owned her mind and it wouldn't be too long before I owned her body.

After we had stopped at the pharmacy to pick up Olivia's new medication for the voice in her head, we headed to campus. Once we were in my office, Olivia sat at her desk, turned on the computer and listen to the voice messages. I went to my own desk and started taking things out of my briefcase.

"Liv." I called. A moment later she was at the door. "Will you put these grades in the computer for me?" I requested, holding out my grade book for her.

"Of course." She answered. The day went on as it normally did. Olivia and I were in and out of the office for classes and therapy sessions. I was surprised when Olivia told me her apartment was listed actually on the internet. She seemed keen on getting her contract sold.

Karl showed up as he said he would but nothing eventful came from that meeting. He wasn't happy when I told him I couldn't recommend Olivia testify in court. Where her rapist hadn't been caught and they didn't have any new leads it seemed unlikely that she would have to testify any time soon anyway. I would try to prepare her for the courtroom in the meantime. She would have justice whether by the court or by my own hand.

….

"I think that's everything." Olivia chirped as she looked around her now empty apartment. A week passed since Karl informed us of Olivia's rapist being in town.

Some days were better than others for her but that was normal. Her bipolar was like a whirlwind fast and always changing. However, her decision to move into my apartment didn't change. Olivia had managed to sell her contract to one of her classmates while the majority of her plants went to the greenhouse at the university.

Olivia handed over her keys to her landlord and we made our way back to our apartment. Our hands intertwined as we walked.

"So, I know you're not really into big crowds but the open house for Gotham's new botanical garden is coming up. Would you mind going with me?" Olivia invited me. I smiled. This would give me the perfect opportunity.

"Of course, just let me know when its." I answered giving her a smirk. She had no idea what I had in mind for her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** _Hello everyone! Thanks so much for reading my story! Thanks to those who are following/favoring my story. A special thanks to my reviewers:_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _Haha thanks! I'm so glad that you are loving my story so much. I hope you will continue to. So I was a chapter off, I think you'll particularly like the chapter after this one. We see more of Olivia's rapist there and we'll get more of an idea of what Jonathan's up to. Thanks again for your compliments and 'happy dance'. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. :D_

**Maggie Wilde: **_Thanks so much for your kind compliment. I'm glad that its keeping you hooked. Not this chapter but the next one we get a clearer idea of what Jonathan's planning. I hope you'll like it. Thanks for the review! :D_

**AlainHotCoco1:** _Haha! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Sorry it took me so long to update. I think I'll be able to update more like I usually do, now that the holiday and finals are over. I'm so glad that you love my story and I'm glad you were excited to see that I had updated. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll continue to enjoy my story. :D_

**Megushie:** _I know what you mean. I get to take chemistry next… I'm scared. Haha. My finals went alright. Not as good as I'd like but oh well. Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you are still enjoying my story. :D_

**ZennyZootSuit: **_haha I thought you'd like that. I hope you've had a Merry Christmas too. Things will start getting a little intense after this chapter. I hope you'll continue to enjoy my story. Thanks so much for the review! :D_

_Ok, I think that's everyone. Just a little __**warning,**__ this chapter is more 'sexual' than my other chapters. It's more of a lime since I'm not into writing lemons. (Sorry if there's any disappointment there.) If you're into the more romantic stuff like me, you'll probably like this chapter. If not, then it's probably not your cup of tea but I think you'll like the last section of the chapter. (It has to do with Olivia's rapist.) Things will be getting more intense after this chapter. Thanks again to all of you and especially those who review. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!-Lin_

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own any Jonathan Crane, Karl Finch or any other Batman character. I only own Olivia and any other OCs that may show up. I am NOT making any money off of this story. Its merely for fun and entertainment.  
_

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

A couple of days passed since I officially sold my apartment contract. As stressful as it was to move everything out of my old apartment, I was glad. It was good to have the apartment gone and to have all my things in one place. Not much changed since I 'officially' moved in with Jonathan. School and work continued while no news came from Karl about my rapist. The voice dimmed down again so, needless to say, life went on.

I sat at the kitchen table as I tapped my pencil against my notebook. I read and reread the same question for my chemistry homework. Ugh I hated paper work when it came to chemistry. I would much rather be in the lab. As long as the calculations were written for me, I found the lab work fun. If I had to do the math, then I found the lab a little more…stressful.

'_Come on, Liv. You know the answer._' I tried to reassure myself. I stared at the question for another moment while my mind began to wander.

Jonathan was being so patient with me. Our relationship seemed to be anything but normal. I've pretty much lived with him for a year. I've been sleeping in his bed for quite some time now. Other couples would have been much more intimate by now. Yet it didn't seem to bother Jonathan. I'm sure he thought about it, I mean he's a guy, but he had so much self-control. He always seemed to know what to say and how to say it. He was such a calm, collect and classy man. I had no idea what he saw in me.

I felt ready. I mean, I wanted to make love to him. I wanted us to share the same pleasures others seemed to take for granted. However, the idea of it still scared me. Jonathan would never force me to do anything. He would be respectful towards me. But still...

What if we started to make love and I had a flashback of the rape? What if I pushed him away after _I_ had initiated the act? That wouldn't be fair to him. Not when he had been waiting so patiently for me to be ready.

Of course, knowing Jonathan, I was probably over thinking that matter, as always. He was a no nonsense type person. Chances were I was creating more drama over it than what was necessary. He would understand if I suddenly needed to stop and he'd be respectful and gracious. Still... it wouldn't be fair to him. He deserved so much better than that; especially from me.

I was so deep in thought that I hadn't notice Jonathan enter the room. It wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder when I realized he was there.

"How's your homework coming?" Jonathan asked before he walked into the kitchen area to get a drink.

"It's…going." I replied, looking back down at the textbook. Jonathan walked back towards me with a glass of water in his hand. I looked up at him while he read through my homework.

"You've missed a step." Jonathan informed me pointing to an earlier question. My eyes went back to the paper and read the question and my answer. He was right as always. Something was missing. But what was it?

"You're right." I told him. "I just can't figure out where."

"I'll explain it to you." Jonathan offered before sitting in the chair next to me. I tried to listen closely as he explained the problem to me.

Our eyes met every now and then. My heart would quicken each time. His arm loosely sat on the back of my chair, barely touching me. I shook my head slightly and looked back down at the problem being explained to me. I needed to concentrate on what he was saying.

I felt like such an idiot. His presence always had a calming effect on me. Now his simple touch was only adding to the arousal I felt for him. He had me turned on and he wasn't even trying. I tried to pay attention but that only resulted with images going through my head. None of those images came close to resembling my homework.

"…and I don't think you're listening to me." Jonathan commented, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Jonathan. I guess I'm just really distracted." I explained. He watched me for a moment. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. What was he thinking about now?

"Is it the voice?" he questioned. So he was trying to determine what condition my mind was in.

"No. I haven't heard him for the last few days." I answered. Jonathan looked me over, assessing me.

"Let me know if its starts to bother you again. We don't want it to get out of hand like it did the first time." He instructed.

I wanted to tell him I was ready but it seemed like it would be an awkward conversation. I felt so childish. It didn't have to be awkward. We had been together for over a year. I loved him. We were both adults. I'm sure if I brought up the possibility of having sex he would discuss it with me in a respectable manner. I was the one being immature. If anyone was going to make it awkward it was me. I could feel my nerves jump as I mustered up the courage to bring the topic up with him.

"Jonathan I…" I started to say when my phone went off. Jonathan raised an eyebrow, interested in what I had to say. "Sorry." I apologized before looking at my phone. "It's my mom. Do you mind if we talk later?"

"It's fine. I need to get back to grading papers and I have a lesson plan to write." Jonathan informed me, standing up. He leaned down and gave me a kiss before he went back into his office. I felt breathless as I answered the phone.

…..

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

"What is that girl up to?" I thought as I walked back into my office.

Olivia was acting strange. She always paid attention when I was explaining something to her. She wasn't lying when she told me she was distracted. There was a different look in her eyes. There was something on her mind and I wanted to know what it was.

'She's ready.' Scarecrow insisted. He had been saying this for a couple of weeks now.

"Well, she did seem…aroused. Maybe you're right." I answered him. Olivia was a bit complicated. I had to be careful. If I approached her too fast it could undo everything. However, as a rape victim, her first time since the rape would be a bit nerve wrecking for her. I had to trend the territory carefully. For now, I would wait for her to initiate things.

In a way, this would be one of the bigger victories for me. Once she let me enter her body, I wouldn't only own her mind. I would own all of her. I would be one step closer to my master plan. Everything was falling into place. She was falling into place.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

'_Well, it doesn't look 'too' bad._' I thought as I looked at the mirror. For the past year I wore sleeved tops and long pajama bottoms to avoid any real skin-to-skin touch while I slept next to Jonathan. Tonight, I was wearing a low cut, dark purple tank top and with a matching pair of super short shorts. It was very different than anything I had worn around Jonathan before.

I couldn't help but wonder what he was going to think when he saw me. Would he find me attractive? Would he even want to make love? Could I do this, without having any flashbacks? Could I do this, without pushing him away? What would his reaction be? How would this change the relationship?

My nerves seemed to dance throughout my body. It felt like I had butterflies the size of birds fluttering around my stomach_. 'Well,'_ I thought, _'let's go see Jonathan.'_ I took another look at myself in the mirror before I let out a nervous sighed and walked out the bedroom door.

Once I made it to Jonathan's office I could hear him talking on the phone. This wasn't that uncommon. With his job if there was an emergency, he would take calls from his patients at the university. Every now and then he'd have to leave the apartment at to go to the hospital to help with a suicide attempt or if someone was having trouble with their medications. I hated those nights and from what Jonathan was saying, this was going to be one of those nights.

"I'll be right there." I heard Jonathan say into his phone. A second later he had hung up and was putting a file into his brief case.

"Going out?" I asked walking into the room. Jonathan turned to me, realizing I was there. He looked me up and down before turning back to his desk.

"Yep, one of my patients is in the hospital on a suicide attempt." He told me. _'Well so much for trying to sleep with him tonight.'_ I thought as he closed his brief case, stood up from his chair and walked towards me.

"I'll probably be gone for a couple of hours. Keep the doors locked. I'll be back as soon as I can." Jonathan said. I nodded, a little disappointed and a little relieved.

"I'll probably head to bed soon. Be safe." I told him.

"I always am." He replied before giving me a kiss. His hand touched my side pulling me slightly into him. "I'll be back soon." He said again as we walked to the door.

Once Jonathan was gone I finished getting ready for bed. I lay in bed for about 45 minutes before I decided to do a little more homework. I sat on the couch, the TV buzzing with some random soap opera while I tried to focus on reading one of my biology books. Another 45 minutes passed before I put down the book and closed my eyes.

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Taking care of my patient's suicide attempt took a lot longer than I thought it would. Four hours had passed since I had left Olivia alone in the apartment.

'She was going to try to seduce you.' Scarecrow informed me. It seemed like he was right. I had never seen Olivia purposely expose so much skin. She was close to being ready.

Once back at the apartment I found Olivia sleeping peacefully on the couch. One of her botany books sitting next to her on the couch. I put my brief case down in my office, got ready for bed and checked back on Olivia. She was such a pretty young thing.

I placed on a hand on her shoulder and shook her lightly, trying to wake her up. A second later, she rubbed her eyes before opening them.

"Hey." Olivia sleepily greeted me.

"Hey. Want to come to bed?" I gently asked her. She was still mostly asleep so nothing would happen tonight. She nodded and followed me into the bedroom. Once she hit the mattress she was asleep again. It had been a long day. Tomorrow was Saturday and I wasn't on call so I would be able to spend some extra time with her. Liv snuggled into me as I lay next to her. She seemed drawn to me as she placed her head on my chest.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

Woohoo! Saturday! I love Saturdays! No work, usually I have my homework finished and I get a little more time with Jonathan.

"Hey. I need to go grocery shopping. Do you want to come?" I asked Jonathan while he set the table I finished making our omelets.

"Sure. Do you want to go after breakfast?" Jonathan asked. I was still wearing my tank and shorts from the night before. I leaned against the counter while I waited for the omelets to finish cooking. Jonathan walked up to me and placed a hand on each hip. He pulled me to him before giving me a kiss. His fingers traced the hem of my shirt. He lightly touched my skin before he gently moved his hands away. He ended the kiss and looked at me as if making sure he hadn't crossed a line.

"It's ok." I whispered, "You can touch me."

Jonathan looked at me for a moment before he nodded. He gave me another kiss while his hands slipped under my shirt. He pulled me into another kiss. I felt a small zing as his hands slowly rubbed my side. I went to make the kiss deeper when get Jonathan's cell phone went off.

"I better get that." He whispered. I nodded.

"I'll finish the omelets." I said. He put a hand on my arm before answering his phone. He went into his office while I put the food on our plates. After a few minutes Jonathan came back out.

"Do you need to leave?" I asked a somewhat disappointed. Jonathan wasn't supposed to be on call today. He shouldn't have to leave.

"No. The nurse just had a question about my patient from last night." Jonathan answered. "Today I'm all yours."

I smiled at his words. Even on the weekends he was always so busy. It's was nice that he was willing to spend the whole day with me.

Jonathan pressed his lips against mine. The tips of his fingers lightly massaged the bare skin on my back. As the kiss deepened his hands began to wander my body a bit more before he brushed against my breast. I tensed a little bit but managed to relax into his touch.

"Are you ok?" Jonathan asked. I nodded and went in for another kiss. A second later, Jonathan lifted me up bridal style and carried me into the bedroom. He gently placed me on the bed.

"Are you alright with this?" Jonathan asked. "I won't force you to do anything."

I stared into his eyes for a moment. I gave him another kiss. My whole body was tingling with excitement and fear.

"Make love to me." I breathlessly answered. Jonathan gave me another kiss.

"Just let me know if you want me to stop." He instructed. I nodded before I pulled him into another kiss. His hand cupped my right breast while he crawled on top of me.

…

"Wow." I whispered in between soft kisses. "So that's what it's supposed to be like." Jonathan smirked as he pulled me tighter to him. I loved being in his arms. He was so strong…so comforting.

"I trust it was better than your first." He inquired. I smiled and initiated another kiss.

"No." I answered. Jonathan gave me a quizzical look before I placed a hand on his bare chest and gave him a kiss. "I suspect the memories of the rape will never go away. But you…I will always consider you my first." Jonathan sent me a rather satisfied smirk before pulling me into a rather forceful kiss.

"So can we do that again?" I questioned, giving him a wink. He gave me a soft smile, different from his usual smirk.

"I think we still need to go grocery shopping but after that we can do whatever you want." Jonathan answered. I smiled. We had taken the next step in our relationship and it seemed like it was for the better.

….

"I'm going to grab something from the next isle." Jonathan told me while I scanned the current isle for some gnocchi for tonight's dinner. "I'll be right back."

"Ok." I answered. He reassuringly placed his hand on my back before walking off. I smiled softly I started looking for my pasta again.

'_Yes!_'I thought. _'Found it. Now I need to go find Jonathan._' I placed the package in my little basket when I heard a startling sound.

"Can I get 8 slices of that fried chicken?" I heard a raspy voice order from the counter.

"_Excussse me misssss….can I borrow your cell phone? My truck has a flat." The blonde haired, bearded stranger asked me. I gave him a naïve smile and responded with a 'of course' before turning my back on him. _

"Then can I also get a cup of those baked beans?" the same raspy voice asked the person over the counter.

"_Shut up bitch!" the man yelled at me before slapping me as he continued to invade me in my most intimate of places. _

My mind started to panic as I slowly looked behind me. He was here. My rapist was only a few feet away from me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** _Hello everyone! Thanks again to all of you for reading my story! I'm glad you've enjoyed it this far. A special thanks goes out to my reviewers:_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _Haha thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked the chapter! I always enjoy your reviews; they always put a smile on my face. Hope you enjoy this chapter; the next one gets even better. Thanks again for the review! :D_

**AlainHotCoco1:** _I'm not sure what 'faints' means so I'm going to assume you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. :D_

**XxMentallyInsaneCupcakexX:** _Again I'm not sure what ':O' means so I'm going to assume you liked the chapter. Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy this next chapter. :D_

**EleanorBlythe:** _Hi! It's good to see a review from you again. I understand how that goes. Accounts can be tricky. I hope you had a good Christmas as well. I agree its about time they became a "proper" couple. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Thanks again for the review! :D_

**Lissa:** _Here's your update! I hope that was fast enough for you. As for Liv getting pregnant, well I guess you'll have to read on and see. Thanks again for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! :D_

_Ok, I think that is everyone. Thanks again to all of your for reading and favoring my story. Thanks again to my reviewers. I'm really excited about this chapter and hope you will all enjoy it! I know it's a little short but the next chapter will make up for that since it's going to be really long and full of action. This chapter is probably filled with more errors than normal, I apologize and please bear with me. I'll be leaving for New Year's tomorrow and I wanted to update one last time before the New Year. I promise I will fix any mistakes I see when I get back and I'll come back with a nice long new chapter too. Please leave a review if you have a moment! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again everyone!-Lin_

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

I held my breath a moment longer before I quickly turned away from him. I set my little basket of groceries down as I tried to stay calm. I didn't want to bring any attention to myself. I didn't know if the man would recognize me but I didn't want to find out until he was in custody.

It felt like my heart was running a marathon. I couldn't believe he was here. My hands started to shake despite my efforts to control it. I started to walk towards the next isle. I needed to be with Jonathan. I had to tell Jonathan, _he_ was here. I was almost to the corner when Jonathan appeared. He greeted me with one of his normal smirks.

"Liv, what's wrong?" Jonathan questioned when tears started to emerge from my eyes. My body continued to shake as he pulled me to him. My mind was cluttered. I tried to stutter out a sentence but no sound left my lips. I rested my head against him while I tried to calm down. Jonathan softly talked me through another one of our therapy exercises.

"What happened?" Jonathan asked me. I turned to see the blonde haired man still waiting for his order at the deli counter. I quickly turned back to Jonathan.

"He's here." I managed to choke out. Jonathan's focus stayed on me as he gave me a confused look.

"Who?" Jonathan questioned.

"Do you see that man at the deli counter, the one with the long blonde hair?" I asked. Jonathan's gaze shifted from me to over my shoulder. "That my rapist." I whispered. Jonathan looked back to me. He set down whatever had been in his hand and placed his hand on my back.

"Let's go." Jonathan stated as he started to walk me out of the store.

"Shouldn't we call Karl or the cops? We don't' want him to get away." I inquired. What if this was our last chance of getting him? What if he left town? What if he disappeared again?

"I will call Karl and the cops. Right now my first priority is to keep you as far away from him as I can." Jonathan answered. His hand took mine as he continued to lead me out of the store. Once we were outside, Jonathan took out his cell phone and dialed a number. Jonathan looked back at me while there was a faint 'ring' in the background from the phone. "That man will never touch you again Liv, I promise." Jonathan told me before he started talking to a police officer.

Jonathan's words were comforting. I knew he meant what he said. He wouldn't allow that man anywhere near me. I couldn't believe this was happening. As long as the cops got here before my rapist left, I could finally have justice.

Only a few minutes passed before a couple of cop cars pulled up. It only took a few moments for the officers to walk up to us and start talking with us.

"Dr. Crane?" one of the officers asked as he approached us. Jonathan nodded and the two men greeted each other with a formal handshake.

"Officer Jim Gordon. We heard you spotted a rapist."

"My girlfriend spotted him at the deli counter." Jonathan responded. "Olivia is one of his earlier rape victims." I'm an earlier rape victim? That man raped other women? I could feel my stomach doing somersaults. I was starting to feel nauseous but managed to keep it under control. The officer had be point out my rapist picture to be sure who they were looking for. After a few more questions, the officers went into the store to make the arrest.

Jonathan was talking to me but I couldn't hear him. I had waited or this moment for a long time now. I was in a haze. I couldn't believe this was finally happening. My rapist was going to be in handcuffs and I would have justice.

"Liv?" Jonathan asked snapping me out of my thoughts. I went to apologize when Officer Gordon and the second officer brought out the blonde man screaming and yelling all sorts of profanity. The blonde haired man looked at me for a second. He looked me up and down, stopping at my chest.

"Hey cute girl." He grinned and winked. "Come bail me out. I'll show you a good time." He managed to say before the officers shoved him into the back of one of police cars. I turned away and Jonathan steadily pulled me to him. The man had seemed pretty drunk when he raped me. He didn't seem to remember my face. Of course I looked a lot different now.. I wasn't sure how I'd feel if he didn't remember me. On one hand I'd be relieved then the other hand I'd be pissed. I had allowed this man to have so much control over my life. I had allowed him to take so much from me.

"Thanks for your help. We've been tracking this guy for a couple of months now. Miss, have you filed a report with the police for your rape?" Officer Gordon answered.

"Yes. It happened three years ago in North Dakota. If you need their records I'm sure they can send them." I stated. He nodded.

"We'll see what we can do." Officer Gordon stated. "Thanks again for your help."

"I'm surprised they don't need to question me." I told Jonathan after the officers had left. He went to reply when his cell phone went off. He held up a finger before he answered the phone. After a few moments he hung up the phone and told me we needed to head to Karl's office.

…..

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Olivia seemed out of it since she encountered her rapist. The fact that he could look at her like that and wink was disgusting. How dare he look at my girl in that way? The second my fear toxin was complete, he would experience his worst fears at maximum dose.

'So what do you think her cousin wants?' Scarecrow asked as we made our way down to the DA's office. The day was going a lot different than I had thought it would. After this morning, I figured we would do some grocery shopping before going home to make love again. Now, I highly doubt she would let me touch her until she managed to sort out whatever thoughts she was having.

"I'm not sure what he wants. Whatever it is he better not set her back. She's in a delicate place mentally at the moment. It's amazing she hadn't had a complete psychotic breakdown." I answered Scarecrow.

…..

"Olivia, Dr. Crane." Karl greeted us before asking us to take a seat as his desk. I had testified in court hearings before but mostly to get patients who refused to take their medications to take it. Liv was different. I highly doubt they would allow me to testify on her behalf where I had an intimate relationship with her.

"Karl, before we get started," Olivia started, directing our attention to her, "can I know what my rapist's name is?"

"Of courses, Liv." Karl answered. "His name is Roger Savage. He's been traveling the country the last few years. Several states are trying to extradite him so he can be tried for the rapes he committed there, including North Dakota."

"What does that mean? When do I need to plan on testifying against him?" Olivia questioned.

"Unfortunately, I can't prosecute him for your rape." Karl replied. What the hell? Why did he put Olivia through all of this if he can't prosecute for her rape? She deserved justice, why wasn't he giving it to her.

"What?" Olivia asked, her voice shook as she sunk in the information. I took her hand to help keep her calm. She could let off steam once we got home but not here. She looked at me.

"Why would you ask Jonathan if I was mentally stable and if I could testify if you can't prosecute him for my rape?" Olivia asked; she was starting to get pissed. Hopefully she would save her brash behavior for when we were at home.

"I had thought if your rapist wasn't the same man that raped that raped those other women here, that I could send him back to North Dakota where he could be tried for your rape. He's committed five rapes in Gotham, more than any of the other rapes in those other states. He'll get the maximum sentence here. He'll get more jail time here." Karl specified.

"Why can't you charge him here?"

"Because he raped you out of my jurisdiction, Liv. I know it's not fair to you but I promise I will make sure he spends as much time behind bars as I can possibly give him. I…"

"I want to testify. I want him to pay for everything he's done to me." Olivia raised her voice. I put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at me while I reminded her to breathe. She needed to stay calm.

"I understand that. I'm sorry, if you want I can arrange a time for you to confront him and…"

"What good will that do? I won't be able to testify against him. He's never going to pay for what he did to me." Olivia basically shouted.

"Olivia I…" Karl started to say but was cut off.

"Oh go to hell, Karl." Olivia snapped at him. I smirked slightly. This was the last straw for this idiot. Olivia would never trust him again and he was the main family member in my way. With him gone my plan could continue at a steady pace. "Don't ever talk to me again, Karl." Olivia loudly said as she stood up. "I don't ever want to see you again." She barked before she stormed out of Karl's office. I stood up to follow her when Karl stopped me.

"Dr. Crane." Karl addressed me now. "I understand that this seems unfair to her. I'm not trying to prevent her from getting justice. If I could prosecute Mr. Savage for her rape I would do it in a heartbeat. Please, help her see I just want what's right for everyone."

"I'll talk to her." I answered him before leaving his office. Despite the fact that Olivia was acting immaturely, considering the circumstances it was understandable. It was a normal response and I had to admit it was amusing when she told Karl to 'go to hell'. Now, Karl was completely out of my way. Soon I could take greater action in my plan.

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"I can't believe Karl. How dare he put me through that only to tell me I can't testify?" I shrieked as I walked paced the front room of our apartment. Jonathan watched and listened to me as I paced for a few more minutes. I felt pissed, hurt, betrayed and….mostly pissed.

"I can't believe this is happening." I started before I sat next to him. "I've waited so long only to be told that I'm a secondary priority. How can Karl do this to me? He knows I want to testify." I stated. I let in a defeated sigh while Jonathan took my hand.

"You're frustrated and after today it's easy to understand why. Just breathe and try not to do anything brash." Jonathan calmly stated.

"I just can't believe after all of that I'm not allowed to testify against him. There won't be a trial for what he did to me." I shook my head. "I thought Karl was on my side. I thought I'd finally have justice. I didn't realize that my rape could be overlooked so easily."

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Olivia's bipolar was all over place since Karl told us he couldn't prosecute Mr. Savage for her rape. Of course as Gotham's DA he would automatically chose to prosecute Mr. Savage for the 4 rapes he had committed in Gotham.

However, because Mr. Finch couldn't charge him for Olivia's rape it made for the perfect opportunity to get into Olivia's mind. She was confused, upset, on high emotions and pissed off. This would be a pivotal point in my experiment with her. I had to wait for the opportune moment. She would want revenge against Mr. Savage. I would help her get it.

If she couldn't get justice through the court, I would convince her to join my research with my fear toxin. It's what I've been training her mind for the past year anyway. This was the perfect opportunity to manipulate her. Watching her fellow students squirm while I tested my toxin on them would bother her but only for a short time. I would just have to help her remember this is how she would get justice for her rape. In the end Mr. Savage would know fear unlike anyone before.

"I'm just so angry." Olivia stated standing back up from the couch and started to pace again. "I just….argh I want to shoot him. I want him gone." Olivia said before sitting next to me. Bingo, that's exactly what I needed to here.

"No, you don't want that." I calmly told her. She gave me a quizzical look.

"What do you mean? After what he did to me I have every right…" Olivia started to go off on me when I interrupted her.

"You're right." I told her. "You do have every right. Karl won't help you get justice. You're not important to him. The thing is you don't really want Mr. Savage shot."

Olivia's confused look only deepened. Now it was time to reel her in and start the chapter of her life I had been preparing her for.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I want you to have justice and I will do everything I can to help you get it." I answered. She thought for a moment. "I have a better way than just shooting him. With my plan he will be in a world of endless torment until the day he dies." I drew her in carefully. Olivia's mind was delicate at the moment but with the right manipulation she would do exactly what I wanted. Olivia looked at me for a moment while she sorted through her thoughts.

"You promise he'll pay for what he did to me?" she questioned. I nodded. Silence continued to fill the room while she thought. "What do you have in mind?" she finally asked.

That's all I needed to hear. I had finally finished the brainwashing stage of her therapy. Now the real fun begins.

….

**Author's Note:** _I'm super excited for the next chapter! Please leave a review if you have a moment. The next chapter is going really exciting and I'll try to have it out Wednesday-Thursday-ish. Thanks for reading and reviewing!-Lin_


	17. Chapter 17

**Author Note:** _Hi everyone! Sorry it took me longer to get this out than I expected. I'm excited for this chapter and I hope you will all love it. Thanks to everyone who is reading/following/favoring my story and a special thanks to those who reviewed:_

**EleanorrBlythe**: _haha love it. Yes she is going all evil with him. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. I think its one of my favorites. Thanks for the review! :D_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _haha I'm glad that you're really REALY excited. I hope you really REALLY love this chapter. Some experiments and some 'romance' and a little bit of heart break mixed in there too but mostly good things. Thanks for the review! :D_

**ZenyZootSuit:** _I'm glad you think so. I'm just not a lemon person. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. We have a little mixture of everything in this one. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Thanks for the review! :D_

**AlainHotCoco1**: _I think Olivia would pretty much agree with everything you said. I know the last chapter pissed me off a little bit as I wrote it. It's not in this chapter but I think you'll really like what ends up happens to her rapist. Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter. :D_

**Charlie McManus**: _Thanks for the review. I know right? Now the real fun of this story begins too. Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy the chapter. :D_

**XxMentallyInsaneCupcakexX**_ haha yay I'm glad to hear that! I agree he is a little possessive of her and it is kind of cute. :D Thanks so much for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter. :D_:

**Tonya:** _Hey! Its fun to see a review from you, it's been a while. Haha, the ironic thing with that is when I first started this story; I had only seen the movies, none of the Batman cartoons so I had no idea who Harley Quinn was. Since then, I've seen a few episodes of the cartoons and I think she's my favorite character. I'm so glad that you are still enjoying my story. I hope you will enjoy this next chapter. Thanks for the review! :D_

**WolfyYoung:** _Thanks so much for the compliment. I'm so glad that you're enjoying my story. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the review! :D_

_I think that is everyone. Yay! I'm so stoked for this chapter. I hope you will love it. It has anexperiment, the verdict from Olivia's rapist's trial, (lots of) romance and a little heartbreak mixed in there too. I also super excited for the chapter after this. Jonathan has yet another surprise for Olivia in the next chapter. I can't wait to get it out to you guys. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive critisim is always welcome. Thanks again everyone!—Lin_

…_._

"Stop…don't come any closer…please…" a man whimpered as Jonathan began his experiment. I watched closely and took notes of our latest victim's reaction to the fear toxin.

Almost a month had passed since Mr. Savage was arrested. Jonathan had explained the fear toxin to me that night. He told me about his experiments and showed me his research. I was both shocked and amazed by him.

I always knew he was smart but I had no idea I was in a relationship with a genius. I didn't know chemistry or pharmacology that well and I doubt I could ever come up with a whole new drug. Jonathan, however, seemed to move with ease while he perfected his toxin.

He took the time to teach me the basics of pharmacology. I found the subject fascinating. I always knew medications affected the body but I never understood exactly how. It wasn't easy but between my own interest and the way Jonathan presented the material I was starting to love it, even more than my plants.

Jonathan spent the first week teaching me before he actually let me in on his experiments. He talked me through his previous research before telling me the toxin wasn't as strong as he wanted it to be. Our goal was to create a toxin that could engulf the victim in an eternal hell. My rapist would spend the rest of his life in fear.

I continued to watch as the man screamed. At first the experiments were hard to watch but I was able to tolerate it. All I had to do was remember someday my rapist would be the victim. Jonathan had also insisted those he chose to experiment on weren't innocent. They were the bad guys and we were helping those they had hurt. That also helped me get over the discomfort I felt at the beginning.

Jonathan also seemed hesitant to let me do much with the toxin itself. He didn't want me to handle it. I wasn't sure why but hopefully with time he'd let me do more than secretarial work.

…..

"You seemed to handle that extra well today." Jonathan told me after we had finished with our experiment and was on our way home. "What are you thinking?"

I stayed silent. I couldn't believe I was even considering this. I had always loved my plants but the more involved I become with our experiments, the less I wanted to continue my education in botany. Plants were used in medications but my knowledge of pharmacology was limited.

"I know it's a bit crazy but I don't want to pursue my education in botany anymore." I finally let out. Jonathan's eyebrow rose slightly.

"Why not? You're only year away from graduation. It doesn't make sense to quit now." Jonathan logically stated.

"I know but I want to be as useful to you and our project as I can be. I need a more in depth education in pharmacology in order to do that. Isn't there a pharmacy technician program or something like it at the University?" I asked him. It wasn't a program I had ever seen myself in but it would provide that basic pharmacology skills I needed.

Jonathan was quiet as he thought through the suggestion.

"You having a more structured knowledge of the subject would be beneficial to both of us." He finally responded.

…

Another week had passed and it had been a rough couple of days. I had managed to convince Jonathan to let me attend the hearing for my rapist. I don't think he liked it but I needed some closure before the toxin was ready. Besides we also needed to know where he would be when the toxin was ready.

It was hard to listen to those other women talk about their own rapes. Their experiences were so similar to my own. The main difference was none of them got pregnant by him.

The creepy thing was Mr. Savage admitted to the rapes with a sadistic smirk. He admitted he liked to hear women scream. He was sick and disgusting. Jonathan had asked me several times if I wanted to leave. I would shake my head and tell him no. I needed to hear what my rapist had to say. He had no remorse for any of the terrible things he had done.

Karl had prosecuted the case well. I still refused to talk to him, though that was a childish act. I was still pissed at the bastard for letting me think I could testify when I couldn't. Jerk!

"So what is Arkham? Is it a prison?" I asked Jonathan while we sat at the table. My stomach kept tying knots. The judge had sentenced Mr. Savage to spend time at Aarkham, whatever it was.

Listening to that man speak made me shake in anger. Jonathan had asked me several times if I wanted to leave the courtroom but I refused to. I wasn't going to make a scene. Jonathan had insisted the more invisible we were the better. He was a better planner than I was and it was best for follow his lead, for now at least.

"Arkham is an asylum for the criminally insane." Jonathan answered. "This is a good thing, Liv. It'll make it easier for us to get to him when the toxin is ready."

I nodded. The toxin was coming along nicely. Well as well as I could tell. I would be starting the pharmacy technician course in the summer. Midterms had just finished we would be going into a week break soon. I wished I could just start the program now, I didn't want to wait.

"So what's next?" I questioned.

"We just do what we've been doing." Jonathan answered. "We'll get him Liv, I promise."

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

I was right; including Olivia in my research was fun. Her curiosity in our work had taken off quite well. There were days it seemed like we did nothing but live, eat and breathed our research. Occasionally I would even spot a small smile form on Olivia's lips when one of our victims would scream out.

Olivia was a good minion. She followed my instructions in depth. She still had her weak points but they were starting to dim. She still wasn't ready to handle the toxin itself just yet. I wanted her to have a better understanding of the chemicals it contained before it got to that point. After she finished with that pharmacy tech program she would be more prepared to handle it herself.

I was sitting in my office grading papers. I couldn't wait for spring break to get here. A whole week with Olivia, doing nothing but experiments sounded like paradise. The fear in our victims eyes, their screams and the moment when they revealed what they truly feared most.

I had finished grading a paper on Ereuthophobia when I heard Olivia enter the room.

"Hey." She greeted me as she sat in the chair next to my desk. I looked up to her for a moment. Her fingers fumbled in her lap for a moment. She seemed nervous about something. "What's going on?" I asked. This was a little unusual for her.

"Can I ask you a question about my medications?" she inquired. I was surprised but made sure not to show it. I picked my glasses off of the desk and put them on before answering her with an 'of course'.

She went to speak but my phone went off. I stared at her for a moment before looking down at the number.

"Its Gotham General." I told her before answering. After talking for a few minutes, I hung up the phone. "I have to go. Someone's have problems with their medications. He's one of our toxin victims, actually. Will you be alright until I get home?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Olivia answered. She stood up and after a few minutes walked me to the door. After a quick kiss, I was on my way to Gotham General.

'So when are you going to ask her?' Scarecrow inquired while my hand glided across the case inside my suit pocket.

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"This is taking longer than I remember it taking the first time." I stated as I sat in the lady's bathroom at the university. I had wanted to ask Jonathan if my medication I took for the voice could affect the birth control I had been taking since I had my daughter. Jonathan was gone most of the night and we hadn't really had a chance to talk yet.

I held a small pregnancy test in my hand. My period was about a week late and I was anxious to get an answer.

I knew I would be thrilled to have a baby with Jonathan. I was also a little nervous. I wasn't sure how Jonathan would respond to the news. I knew he would be a great father, I just didn't know if he would want to have a baby.

Only a few more seconds passed before two lines appeared on the test. A huge smiled formed on my lips. I was pregnant and I couldn't wait to tell Jonathan.

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Telling Olivia I had lost my job wasn't going to be easy. Getting fired from the university definitely wasn't on my 'to do' list for the day. I continued to think about that dumb experiment that had gone wrong.

Olivia was in class, giving me some time to pack up my office before being bombarded with her questions.

I didn't realize how little I really had in my office until I started to pack. I was mostly packing up books and any office supplies I could use back home. I had placed a pen in my pocket when my fingers felt the case again.

I looked up at the clock to realize Olivia was only going to be gone for another 15 minutes. I took the case out from my pocket it and opened it to reveal the black diamond ring I had bought for Olivia.

"I kind of wish I had waited to buy you until after I found my new job." I said to the jewel before closing the case and putting it back in my pocket. We still had bills to pay and with no job money would be a little tight.

I had almost finished packing up my office when Olivia bounced in the room. She had a huge smile on her face. Something was up but it had to wait. I needed to tell her to get her desk packed up as well. The university didn't know she was involved with the experiments but all the other professors already had their secretaries. They simply didn't need her services.

Olivia's face dropped confused as she examined my now boxed up office.

"What's going on?" she asked before she started to walk up to me.

"Sit down." I told her before taking her hand.

"Is this a really weird therapy session?" Olivia questioned.

"No," I smirked slightly. "There's not really an easy way to tell you so I'll just go ahead and tell you. Some of the students we've been experimenting on have gone to the dean. They've accused me of the experiments and to keep things quiet, the dean fired me." I explained.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"I got fired today." I repeated. Her brows drew close together as a sad look spread across her face. She was worried. "We're going to be alright, Liv. I'm going to get a different job. We'll be fine." I tried to reassure her. Olivia should know she can depend on me by now.

"Yeah, you will. We'll be fine." Olivia parroted back to me. I nodded and gave her a kiss.

"Go pack up your desk." I told her. She nodded but didn't move. Her mind was elsewhere. "Are you alright?" I asked. Olivia nodded again but the worried look never left her face. I took her hand. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just I have my own news and us losing our jobs might make my news a little harder to celebrate." She finally answered.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired.

"My period is late." Olivia told me. "The pregnancy test was positive."

"You're pregnant?" I questioned surprised by her words. She nodded. She looked nervous as she watched me take in this news.

I wasn't exactly thrilled about Olivia's pregnancy. However, it wouldn't take long for me to find another job. It wasn't the best timing but we would make it work. She was carrying _my_ child after all. This child was an extension of me and I would do everything in my power to make sure he or she was taken care of.

"Are you mad?" Olivia asked when I hadn't said anything else. I smiled and shook my head.

"Not at all, I'm just surprised." I told her before I pulled her to her feet. I put my hand on her stomach, looking down at it before looking back up at her. "We're a family." I told her before pulling her into a kiss.

...

A few days passed since I lost my job at the University. I had secured a job interview at Arkham which would be great for my interests and for my experiments. No one was going to care if my bride to be and I experimented on the crazies there.

'You sure assume a lot. How do you know she'll say yes?' Scarecrow asked. I smirked. How could she refuse me, was a better question.

"She's carrying my child, for starters." I answered. "She's my 'partner in crime'. I'm her world. Asking her is just a formality, she'll say yes."

It made sense to make Olivia my wife. She had been my live-in girlfriend for a while now. I had claimed her, she was mine and the best way to make sure the world would know that was to marry her. Besides it would also guarantee her loyalty to me and our experiments.

I continued to work on the formula for the fear toxin until I heard Olivia come into my office.

"Jonathan." I heard her quietly say. I turned to her. She was pale. "I think something is wrong with the pregnancy."

….

Olivia was taking the miscarriage hard. I had managed to get her to eat some but she was starting to sink back into that pit of despair she was in when I first met her. I didn't understand why the miscarriage was so hard on her. They happened all the time. It wasn't her fault. We had plenty of time for her to get pregnant again. Of course it wouldn't help to tell her any of those things at this point.

A week had passed since the miscarriage and my job interview at Arkham was the next day. There was no doubt in my mind if I would get it. I, being the genius I am, would have the job within the first ten minutes of the interview.

One good thing that came from being fired from the university is I didn't have to grade papers or write lesson plans all day. I was able to work on my toxin and when she wasn't busy with school, homework or sulking I would manage to take Olivia's mind off of the miscarriage by doing experiments on unsuspecting thugs that wandered the streets. The experiments seemed to calm her spirit and strangely enough it seemed to tighten the bond she felt towards me.

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

I stared at my textbook, reading the same sentence over, over and over yet again, trying to make sense of it. Ugh, this isn't working. I needed to keep my mind off of the miscarriage. I needed to keep my attention on my school work. I needed to pass these classes, even if I wasn't going to get my Masters. I didn't want to ruin my transcript any more than I had.

I had to admit, I much rather be working with Jonathan on the fear toxin. Being able to use the toxin to bring justice to those who wouldn't otherwise have it seemed to bring a new meaning to my life. Not only was I working towards justice for my own rape, I was working towards justice for those other women Mr. Savage had raped. If Jonathan was right and he did get the job at Arkham, our experiments would be on murders and other rapists. In a way, we would be doing the world a favor and we were getting justice for those they had hurt.

I sighed and closed the textbook. Clearly I wasn't going to be able to concentrate on that right now. After sitting at the table a few more minutes I stood up and walked to Jonathan's office. One of the good things about him not having work is I got to spend more time with him doing whatever we chose to do rather than work.

As always he was supportive after the miscarriage. Between losing our jobs and the miscarriage, it felt like nothing was going right for us. I wanted to be able to give Jonathan a child. What if I never could though? What if my body was too weak? What if I'm never able to birth a live baby?

"Hey." I greeted Jonathan as I normally did when I came into his office. He looked up from his calculations and gave me his normal smirk.

"Hey." He replied. "Are you ok?" I had, had a hard time eating the last week and he let me know pretty sternly he wasn't happy about it. He also let me know he wasn't going to allow me to even get close to where I was when we first met. I understood his concern. I didn't want it to get to that point either.

"Yeah I'm fine." I answered. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Until, I start at Arkham, you can talk to me for as long as you want." He smirked. I smiled back. I loved his confidence. I wanted to be more like that.

My heart started to speed up slightly. There was something I wanted to ask him but I was afraid of the answer. I felt like my body had let him down.

"Liv?" Jonathan questioned trying to get our eyes to meet. I looked at him a sighed. For the most part he had always been honest with me. The only way to move passed this obstacle was to be honest with him.

"Does it bother you that I carried another man's baby longer than I was able to carry yours?" I asked. Jonathan looked surprised by my question. He thought for a moment, probably trying to decide the best way to answer my question. He took off his glasses before his hand took mine.

"Liv, the situations are completely different. Your body is still in the recovery from your anorexia." Jonathan said, "To answer your question no. It doesn't because your first pregnancy was a result of rape. The miscarriage wasn't your fault either. Its' just something that happens."

"I know." I sighed, "Its just hard…"

"I know it is. At this point the best thing we can do is move on. I promise we will have a baby someday. Let's just wait to purposely have one until after you're finished with the pharmacy tech program and I'm secure in my new job at Arkham." Jonathan conditioned. I nodded. That was acceptable. It would be better for our family to wait until I was finished with school and we both had secure jobs.

"How about you and I get dressed up and go out for dinner tonight? It's been a while since we've gone out on a date. We can even check out the open house for that new botanical garden you've wanted to go see." Jonathan suggested. I was surprised. The open house for that new garden was today? And I forgot? That was weird.

"Sure. That sounds like fun." I agreed with a smile. I was up for anything that meant I didn't have to cook dinner tonight, plus it had been a while since we'd gone out on a date. Suddenly my spirit was lifted slightly.

….

"This is so beautiful." I told Jonathan as we walked through Gotham's new botanical garden. I loved this place. The flower, the greenery was so beautiful and perfectly put in place. "Thank you for talking me into coming tonight, I've really enjoyed spending the extra time with you."

Jonathan smiled at my words before taking my hand. We continued to wander the garden grounds. It was so nice to get out of the apartment and away from studying. I loved being able to spend a little more time with Jonathan before his job interview tomorrow. He seemed confident he would get the job tomorrow. I was glad he would want to spend his last night of 'freedom' with me.

We continued to walk while I occasionally would point out a rare species of flower or other greenery. Jonathan's hand held my hand tightly as we walked through the grounds.

"Come stand with me for a minute." Jonathan instructed as he lead me towards one of the bridges that rested by one of the parks many mini waterfalls. Red, white and pink water lilies filled the water before as we leaned against the rail of the bridge. The sight was so beautiful.

"Thanks again for bringing me here tonight. I can't believe I completely forgot about it." I told Jonathan as he turned his attention from the falls in front of us to me. He gave me yet another one of his smirks. Only this one seemed different almost a little impish. He had something planned.

"I know you've been looking forward to it." Jonathan shrugged a little. "And it seemed like a nice enough place."

"A nice enough place for what?" I questioned a little confused. His smile widened as he put his hand in his pocket.

"It seemed like the perfect place to give you this." He replied handing me a ring case. I was surprised and quickly opened the case to reveal a sliver band with a black diamond. My jaw dropped as I looked at it. I could feel Jonathan's eyes pierce through me as I examined the ring he had just given me.

"I'm not sure I understand." I told him. Was he proposing?

"Look, I'm not going to get down on one knee and beg you to marry me like a dog begs." Jonathan started to say. I shook my head and smiled.

"No. That wouldn't suit you." I told him. He smirked and nodded.

"That's true. However, I am asking you if you will be my wife." He continued. I stared at him. His blue eyes stayed firm on my brown ones. I could feel my heart leap with joy. Jonathan really knew how to make my day.

"Yes." I choked out. "Yes, I'll marry you."

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

"I told you she'd say yes." I told Scarecrow before Olivia pulled me into a kiss. I was pleased with her reaction. I had clearly caught her off guard. That was what I wanted.

"Let's wait to get married until after you're finished with school." I told her. I had her whole future planned out. Our whole future planned out. "Once you're finished with the pharmacy tech program, I will get you a job at Arkham in one of their satellite pharmacies. We'll still be working together and they can't refuse to hire you because you're married to one of the doctors there."

"You're not a doctor there yet." She reminded me.

"I will be tomorrow." I answered before taking the ring out of its case. "Now, I think this looks much better here." I said placing the ring on her finger. She smiled as she admired her new ring. "I hope you don't mind the black diamond." I told her. "I didn't really see us as the regular diamond type."

"It's beautiful. Thanks you." Olivia beamed. "I love it and I love you." With that she pulled me into a kiss. Once the kiss ended she went to say something but was interrupted by two men passing by. One was bragging about how he had just beat and left his girlfriend lying on the floor full of blood.

"What do you think?" I started to ask her, "What do you think about celebrating our engagement with an experiment?"

She looked from the man but nodded at me with a bit of a smile. I had managed to twist her mind exactly where I wanted it. Now I had a new fiancé and now we had found our newest victim.

….

**Author's Note:** _Well I hoped you a liked this chapter. I'm so excited for the next one. I think you'll like it. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again everyone!-Lin_:


	18. Chapter 18

**Authors Note:** _Hi everyone! Thanks to all of you for reading my story and to those who are following/favoring it. A special thanks to those who reviewed:_

**maliumpkinss:** _Thanks for the review and for the compliments! I agree it is sad that the pregnancy only lasted a short time but I do everything I do for a reason. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story. Thanks again for the review! :D_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _I wish everything could be happy. Too bad it's not realistic. I think Olivia Crane sounds pretty epic too. :D I'm glad that you're enjoying my story, fangirl dance and all. :) Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter. :D_

**EleanorBlythe:** _Yes! Batman will be in this story. I think we're still a few of chapters away though. But yes, Batman will be in this story. It would be kind of weird to write a Batman Begins through the Dark Knight Rises story without Batman. Thanks for the review! I'm happy that you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you will enjoy this next chapter! :D_

**Megushie:** _Thanks for the review! I agree it's sad she lost the baby. I never enjoy writing the sad parts. I hope you will enjoy this next chapter! Thanks again for the review! :D_

**Anastacia Lynn:** _I know right. I hate the sad parts but they're part of the story. I do everything I do for a reason. I'm glad you liked the black diamond. I think they're pretty too. Thanks for the review! I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter! :D_

**Tonya**: _Yay! I'm glad you liked it! I agree, I thought the black diamond was perfect, especially where Jonathan was the one giving it. I hope you will enjoy this next chapter. Thanks for the review! :D_

**AlainHotCoco1:** _Thanks for the review! I like the ring of Olivia Crane too. I agree, I think black diamonds are very pretty. I know it was kind of a bittersweet chapter but I do everything for a reason. As far as them having a baby, all I will say at this point, is keep reading and find out. Though I think you'll like what ends up happening. I hope you will like this chapter. It includes something I think we've all been wanting for a while now. Thanks again for the review! :D_

**tillIHearYouSing:** _Hi! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story. As for your suggestion, something dramatic like that will happen but probably not for a few more chapters. Please be patient! I promise Scarecrow will have more to do in future chapters. Thanks again for your review! :D_

**Kiss The Stars With Me:** _Thanks for your review! I'm glad that you are enjoying my story. I try to update at least once a week and if I can update more I do. So hopefully that won't make you wait too long. Thanks again for the review! I hope you will continue to enjoy my story! :D_

_Ok, I think that is everyone. Thanks again to all of you for reading/favoring and reviewing my story! I hope you all will enjoy this next chapter. I'm excited for it. There's one particular part I hope you all will like. I hope! I hope! If you have a moment please leave a review! Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks everyone!-Lin_

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"Alright class. That's it for the day, finish cleaning up your stations and I'll see you next time." My chemistry professor told us as our lab came to a close. Once everything was cleaned and I was out the door, I quickly got out my phone to see if Jonathan had texted me. He had, had his job interview during that class and I wanted to know if he had the job.

"_I got the job and will officially start working in a couple days. I'll spend the next day and half setting up my office at Arkham. See you at home.—Jonathan."_

I smiled at his text and made my way toward the library. It was kind of sad that my time as his secretary was over. I missed seeing him so much of the day but, if everything went according to plan, I would be working at one of Arkham's satellite pharmacies within the year.

I couldn't wait to be done with school. There was a side of me that felt a little stupid quitting this far into my Master's degree. I needed to do this though. I needed to gain this knowledge so I could use it to help Jonathan. After all, I needed to be of some use to my husband-to-be. I smiled a bit at that phrase. Jonathan was going to be my husband. I looked down at the ring he gave me as my heart did a small leap.

My mother was thrilled when I told her Jonathan and I were engaged. My mother insisted I let her know when the wedding was going to be as soon as possible. She pretty much told my news grandmother, father and I'm not sure if Brian was there or not. She shouted it to everyone while I was still on the phone with her. I thought I could hear my grandmother start to sing the 'halleluiah' chorus, while my dad said something along the lines of, 'guess I better have a talk with that boy.' I couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since the family had something to celebrate.

Once I was at the library I sent Jonathan a short reply, congratulating him and telling I looked forward to seeing him that night. After I finished with the text I grabbed out my textbook and started to study.

….

"So how was your first day of work?" I asked Jonathan as he closed the door behind him. A couple of days passed and Jonathan was officially treating his patients at Arkham.

"It was fine." Jonathan replied as he made his way towards me. I was in the kitchen getting ready to make dinner when he came through the door. "How was school?"

"Good. I finished all my homework at the library so if you're not doing anything tonight…" I started to say when Jonathan interrupted me.

"I have paperwork. Instead of grading papers, I get to fill them out and file them." He told me giving me a slightly annoyed look. "I hate paperwork."

I smiled a little bit. I don't think he had any idea how happy he made me. Even if he was going to be busy with paperwork.

"It's ok. I guess I'll just study some more." I said before going back to cooking. "Or maybe I'll just watch some random reality show." I thought out loud. Jonathan smirked, gave me a kiss and went into his office.

A few minutes later Jonathan came back out of his office.

"So, do you want to guess who one of my new patients is?" Jonathan asked. I looked at him for a moment, confused by his question. I didn't think he could legally tell me about any of his patients. Why was he….?

"Mr. Savage?" I asked, as the thought hit me. My rapist was now one of Jonathan's patients? Jonathan nodded. "Have you done any of your experiments on him?" I asked. There was a side of me that wanted me to tell me yes then another side that hoped he hadn't. I wanted to be there when the bastard was blasted with the toxin.

"It's my first day, Liv." Jonathan reminded me. "I have to be a little more subtle with my experiments so I don't get caught again." I nodded in agreement. That was the last thing we needed. After moment Jonathan went back to his office grabbed something out of his briefcase and came back holding some kind of brown bag in his hand.

"What is that?" I inquired, wondering what he had planned.

"It's a burlap sack." Jonathan answered. "This is going to prevent me from breathing in the toxin. It's going to help make sure I'm not caught again. This is going to be my mask."

…..

I was so excited! I couldn't wait to tell Jonathan. I got an "A-" on my chemistry final. I was thrilled. It was the first "A" I had gotten in any of my classes since the rape.

Jonathan made it clear the first time I showed up at Arkham he didn't want me to come to the Narrows by myself. He kept saying something about me being any easy target and blah blah blah but I wanted to tell him now and in person.

Once I made it to Arkham Asylum, I quickly made my way towards Jonathan's office. I couldn't wait to share this news with him. I was almost to Jonathan's office when I heard a voice call out my name.

"What are you doing here?" Jonathan asked sternly as he walked up to me, "I told you not to come to the Narrows unless there's an emergency."

I smiled. It was good to know he cared about me and wanted to protect me.

"Can we talk for a minute?" I questioned, hoping he could spare a few moments to celebrate this achievement. He looked down at his watch before nodding and putting a hand on my back.

"Of course." He answered as we walked down to his office. "So what's going on?" Jonathan inquired once he had closed his office door behind us. I had a huge cheesy grin on my face.

"I got an "A-" in chemistry." I squeaked in a high pitched excited voice. Jonathan raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Good, congratulations." Jonathan said. "How about we celebrate with an experiment?"

"Are you sure that's ok?" I asked. "I don't want to get you in trouble."

"It's fine. Just stay close to me." Jonathan instructed, picking up his briefcase and lead me out of his office. I followed him down one of the long hallways of Arkham, went down the elevator and into another long dreary hallway.

I was surprised Jonathan would want to do an experiment right now, in the middle of the day. He had finished making his mask. He used it as a gas mask so he could now engulf his victims with the toxin without risk to himself.

"Stay behind me." Jonathan whispered as he came up to a door. He used his I.D card to open the door. Once we were inside I realized he had brought me to the cell of my rapist. Jonathan had told me Mr. Savage was in solitary due to fighting. Jonathan didn't tell much more detail than that. Mr. Savage was in a strait-jacket and strapped to a chair.

Mr. Savage's eyes watched Jonathan as we walked into the room. He gave my fiancé a paranoid look. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. I could hear his breath quicken as he started to pant. Mr. Savage started to yell out some profanity and yelling at us to get away.

"I thought you said you hadn't experimented on him." I looked to Jonathan. Clearly Mr. Savage was afraid of Jonathan.

"I haven't." Jonathan shrugged. "I may have tortured him, though." I gave Jonathan a surprised smile. He really was the only one looking out for me. He was the only one willing to do whatever it took to make sure I got justice.

"I thought you didn't want to experiment on him until your toxin was stronger." stated, wondering what he was up to.

"It's strong enough it'll still engulf him in an endless torment." Jonathan answered simply. "Besides, we can always come back and give him another dose if we want."

I was surprised but it was true. I had waited so long for this moment. Now my rapist would pay for what he did to me and to those other women. Mr. Savage would learn the true meaning of fear.

"Put this on." Jonathan told me as he handed me his scarecrow mask.

"What about you?" I asked him. "Don't you need it so you won't breathe in the toxin?"

"That's your mask." He informed me before pulling out a second mask. "This one is mine."

"I didn't know you were making me a mask." I commented as he showed me how to turn on the oxygen so I wouldn't breathe in the toxin.

"If you're going to be a part of my experiments you need it." Jonathan responded. I put my mask on and waited for Jonathan as he turned on the oxygen in his mask. Then, to my surprise, he handed me the contraption he used to spray his fear toxin. I gave him a quizzical look. He never let me use it, why was he now?

"You should do it." Jonathan told me before he started to show me how to use it. "You're the one he hurt."

"Are you sure? I don't want to ruin your dispenser thing." I stated.

He looked at me for a moment before putting his own mask on. His blue eyes pierced through the mask. I hadn't seen him in it before. He hadn't included me in as many experiments since he started to do them at Arkham. If someone noticed an unauthorized person was making several visits to the prisoners of Arkham, it could jeopardize our research. When I started to work at Arkham I would be included a lot more experiments.

"I think you'll be fine." He answered pretty confidently. Jonathan showed me once again how to use the contraption. I felt the cold metal against my arm. It was a little heavier than I thought it would be but not too bad. I could hear my rapist start to whimper a bit. I looked up to him before I felt Jonathan's hand touch mine. I looked back to my fiancé.

"Remember, he deserves this." Jonathan reminded me. I nodded. I didn't really need it. Mr. Savage's small cries reminded me of my own cries, when I cried for help and no one did anything. Now this man would know how helpless I felt while he raped me. He would finally know the fear he caused me to feel the last few years.

"Do it with me?" I asked, turning back to Jonathan. My rape had affected him too. He had to work for quite a while before he managed to fix my broken mind. I couldn't see Jonathan's facial expressions through the mask so I wasn't sure what his reaction was. After a couple of seconds Jonathan nodded. His hand left mine as he raised it up to the trigger of the gas dispenser. We gave each other one last look and he gave me a small nod before we pressed the trigger, engulfing my rapist and sending him into an eternal torment.

….

"That was such a rush." I told Jonathan after we finished in Mr. Savage's room. We could hear his cries coming from the hall. Arkham was filled with cries and other strange noises, it was doubtful anyone would think anything of the man's screams. I felt happy and a bit jittery. Damn, that was such a rush. Jonathan was right. It's fun to scare the hell out of people.

"I think you are definitely running off adrenaline." Jonathan commented noticing the bounce in my step. I smiled at him. He truly was the only one who was always on my side.

"It doesn't give you a rush?" I questioned. Surely it had to. He was the Master of Fears after all.

"It does, I just don't show it in the same way you do." Jonathan stated.

"How do you show it then?" I asked, curiously. Jonathan sent me a small smirk as we reached his office.

"Come inside and I'll show you." He instructed. I sent him a questioning look. What was he up to now? He nodded his head into his office. I gave him one last look before I walked into his office. It would be the first of many times we would make love in his office at the asylum.

….

"I can't believe you actually brought me here." I admitted as Jonathan and I got off the plane. I couldn't believe I was back. When I left I didn't have much intention of coming back to North Dakota. I didn't have anything against my home state but this is where I was raped. I wanted to leave almost everything behind.

"Well, things in Gotham have been a little hectic lately." Jonathan started to say, "I figured we could use some time together. Besides you've done nothing but study the last few weeks. You need a break and I thought coming out here would help relax you."

"I just can't believe you wanted to come out here." I told him. I was a couple months into the pharmacy tech program and literally did nothing but eat, sleep and study. Occasionally Jonathan would take me to the asylum to perform experiments with him but that was a rare occurrence.

"I don't think we've ever taken a real vacation together." Jonathan thoughtfully stated. "Besides getting out of the city for a few days seemed like a good idea. I thought, if you were up for it, we could talk about the wedding. Get your mind off of school for a while."

"That would be nice." I thoughtfully stated. A small break was definitely needed and we were lucky that we could both get some time away from Gotham. I just didn't understand why he wanted to come out here. It just didn't seem like something that would interest him. He had to have a motive he wasn't telling me about. So what was it? "So where are we staying?"

"Your mother wanted us to stay at the house." Jonathan started to say. That wouldn't be a good idea. I loved my family but I wanted to spend more time with Jonathan. This was supposed to _our_ vacation. We didn't really get the spring break like we had looked forward to. Jonathan lost his job at the university before spring break came.

"Please tell me you didn't go along with that idea." I asked quickly. I wasn't sure why but Jonathan and my mother had talked a few times on the phone. Something was in the works and I couldn't figure out what it was. I mean, I loved them both but what was Jonathan planning?

"Of course not, we're staying at a hotel." Jonathan replied. Phew, that's a relief. "I have every intention of having sex at least a few times during this trip. I don't particularly want to do that at your childhood home." Jonathan said with a sly smile. I let out a small chuckle.

"We'll go by the hotel first." Jonathan continued, "Then you can show me where you grew up."

"Why did you want to come out here so bad? When you said vacation I was thinking, spa day or the beach or something like that."

"If we're going to start a family together I'd like to get to know your roots." He answered. That made sense…I think.

"Then doesn't it make sense that I get to know your roots too?" I questioned.

"That's a reasonable thought." Jonathan stated, "I'll think about telling you." I had asked Jonathan about his past, his childhood several times. The most I got out of him was that it was a bad situation and that he was raised by his great-grandmother. I didn't understand. His childhood couldn't be that bad….could it? What was it about his great-grandmother he didn't like? What did she do to him? Why didn't he want to tell me about his past? Where the hell was his mother and why didn't she raise him? I had so many questions.

Deciding I wanted to have fun on this vacation I dropped the issue for now. I would find out eventually. There wasn't any point in pressing the matter…yet.

….

"Well I think that's everything." Jonathan commented as he set a suitcase on the bed in our newly acquired hotel room. I had to admit, when Jonathan planned a trip, he did a nice job. Of course, he was too classy for anything less than the best.

I looked around the room for a moment as I took in all its features. It was a basic room with a TV, mini fridge and microwave, a coffee maker, a couple of chairs, a table, some mirrors, lamps, a kind size bed and a bathroom attached to the main room.

"What do you say you give me a tour of the town?" Jonathan suggested.

"Ok, what do you want to see first?" I questioned.

"Anywhere you want to take me. We can go to your parents' house. Or, if you're up for it, I was thinking we could go visit Katie's grave."

….

**Author's Note:** _Ok everyone that's it for now. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm really excited for this next chapter! I can't wait to get it out. Thanks again for reading! Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. -Lin_


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: **_Hi everyone! Sorry this took longer to get out. It's a longer chapter than usual so I hope you will enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who is reading/favoring/following my story. Special thanks to those who reviewed:_

**forgetmenotflowers**: _haha, thanks for the review! You reviews always make me smile! :D_

**AlainHotCoco**: _Thanks for the review! I'm glad that you liked the revenge. (There's another twist coming up with her rapist. It's not in this chapter but soon.) :D_

**ZennyZootSuit:** _haha I liked that line too. Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it! :D_

**maliumpkinss:** _Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! :D_

**Megushie:** _haha,_ _this is just the tip of what I have planned for them. Thanks for the review! :D_

_Ok, I think that is everyone! I hope you all will enjoy this chapter. We start getting into Jonathan's past in this chapter. Also, I think we're two chapters away from getting into where Batman Begins will start! So for those of you who are waiting for Batman, its coming up! Thanks again to all of you! Please review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!-Lin_

**Disclaimer**: _I do NOT own Jonathan Crane nor am I making any money off this story. This story is merely for entertainment. Also, I do not own the small section where Jonathan talks about his past as it's the same that was used in the comics. So again, I do not own Jonathan Crane or the part about his past._

…

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

Everything was going according to plan. I figured Olivia wouldn't want to visit Katie's grave right away. Katie was still a ghost Olivia hadn't fully faced. The goal for this trip was to get rid of any guilt Olivia felt for Katie. I couldn't have her feeling that way. What had happened was not her fault. Tragedies like that just happen.

She needed to overcome any guilt before I let her continue helping me with my experiments. For the part she did well with the experiments. She would smile and she would enjoy the experiments we performed on the people she dubbed to be evil. That didn't include everyone. My goal was to teach her to have no remorse. She used to be apathetic towards her eating disorder. She needed to learn to be apathetic towards everyone we come across, not just the inmates.

"Can we have a small wedding?" Olivia asked as we got ready for bed. "I don't really want a big wedding. Just us, family and maybe some close friends."

We hadn't been back at the hotel very long. We spent most of the day at Olivia's parents' house. Her family was as friendly as ever. Her mother had insisted she was going to take Olivia dress shopping the next day. The wedding seemed to be the theme for tonight's dinner.

Olivia and I had discussed a few things before we came out here. She would finish the pharmacy tech program before Christmas and then in January she would take the State and Federal exams for her license. Our plan so far was to get married the last week of January after those exams were completed. I had already arranged for her to intern at Arkham during the fall. Hopefully that would help her get a more permanent job there.

"That seems reasonable." I answered. There wasn't any reason to have a big wedding. We were private people. Other than Olivia's family and maybe a few of my coworkers, there really wasn't many people I intended on coming.

"Thank you." She sighed in relief. "I really don't want to walk down the aisle in front of a lot of people." I sent her a smirk. Since our engagement and the day we had gassed her rapist, she seemed happier.

Olivia wasn't as interested in wedding details as I thought she would be. I think if she had her way we would just go to the courthouse and get married there. It was a tempting idea. Getting married at the courthouse wouldn't cost a lot of money and the main people that mattered would be there. In the end a more formal wedding seemed better.

"So what are you going to do while I'm dress shopping with mom?" Olivia asked before sitting on the bed.

"I have some calculations for the fear toxin I want to work through." I informed her before sitting next to her. "I think your dad wants to talk to me at some point."

"Yeah, I think he's going to give you to whole, 'you better not hurt my daughter' and that kind of thing." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm in for a somewhat awkward day tomorrow." I joked. She returned the smile and gave me a small kiss. My hand glided across her arm when I felt a slight bump. I looked down to see the long scar on her forearm. I traced it the cut before looking back at her.

"You never did tell me how you got this." I observed. Based off the size of the scar and knowing her background, it had to have been self-inflicted.

"Well," Olivia started to say, "It's not exactly my favorite memory."

"You should tell me about it." I insisted. Olivia's looked at me while she thought.

"Tell me something about your childhood and I'll tell you about this scar." She tried to negotiate. I smirked at her request. She seemed determine to know my history.

"Alright." I agreed, "First tell me about your scar and then I will tell you one thing about my childhood." Liv seemed pleased with her negotiations but her face fell slightly as she thought about how she got her scar.

"I don't remember the exact timing. I think it was a month or two after Katie died. I was depressed. I was angry and I really hated myself.

"I think it was a Saturday evening. My parents had taken Grandma Vera to dinner and I think Brian had a date. I was home alone and it was the first time the voice was really strong. My mind was a mess and I didn't understand what was going on. The voice told me the only way to make up for Katie's death was my own death.

"I don't remember all the details. I remember holding my parents' butcher knife above my arm but I don't remember actually cutting myself. I do remember sitting on the kitchen floor until I lost consciousness. My mom found me and I was taken to the hospital. That's when I started to see the first psychiatrist.

"It was hard to see everyone move on with their lives. There were days it felt like I was the only one that cared that Katie had died. That wasn't true of course. Her adoptive parents had to have been disappointed but I wasn't around them much after the funeral. My parents grieved for her as well. Everyone else wanted to move on. I didn't." Olivia sadly sighed as she finished her story.

I couldn't help but wonder what other stories she wasn't telling me. It was a shame she hadn't been in a position to come to me as her psychiatrist the first time. She would have never gotten as bad as she did.

"So what about you?" Olivia asked turning her attention to me. "Tell me something about your childhood." She gave me a smile and leaned into me, letting me know she was very interested in what I had to say.

"I was raised by my great-grandmother." I stated bluntly.

"I already knew that."

"You asked me tell you something about my childhood. You didn't say it had to be something you didn't know." I reminded her. She stared at me before she rolled her eyes and gave me a smile.

"Stop tricking me." She pouted slightly.

"It's not my fault you didn't specify you wanted new information."

"Jonathan, why won't you tell me about your past?"

"I don't see the point of reliving the past. You know everything about me you need to." I told her. Her eyes lowered in disappointment. There were certain events in my life she didn't need to know about.

"If you take me to Katie's grave, I'll answer your questions." I negotiated. It wouldn't hurt to tell her some things. She just didn't need to know everything.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"Come on." My mom insisted holding the door open. I looked at the dress shop for a second before she continued. "Let's go find your dress."

We hadn't been in the store 5 minutes before mom was helping me into a dress. Dress shopping wasn't really my thing. I didn't mind dresses but I didn't want to go through the drama of finding 'the dress'. All I wanted was to look like I belonged next to Jonathan. I guess, I just wanted to look as classy and neat and he did.

"I'm so glad to get you to myself for a short while." My mother chirped as she laced up the back of the dress. "I was beginning to think we'd never get to gossip. How are things back in Gotham? Are you enjoying that new Pharmacy tech thing you've been talking about?"

"Things are great. I just need to finish up the summer semester and start the fall semester so I can start on my internship. Then I'll get my license and get a job. After that, Jonathan and I will get married." I smiled. I couldn't wait to begin my future with Jonathan. I couldn't wait to be out of school and actually be able to contribute some financial means to the relationship.

"Have you guys talked about when you may have kids of your own?" she inquired. My smile dropped a little bit.

"We'll wait until after I'm secure in a job." I told her. "I actually got pregnant three-four months ago. It miscarried." She stopped promptly with the lace and pulled me into a hug.

"Liv, I'm so sorry." She said, "You never said anything to me. You'll get a baby someday. When you do you'll be a great mom." My mom reassured me. I tried to plaster a smile on my face and nodded.

"You're right." I agreed, "Jonathan and I, we'll get our baby someday. I hope I'll be a good mom. I had no idea what I was doing when I was pregnant with Katie. At least the next time around it'll be with Jonathan. He'll be a good father."

"You both will be great. I'm so happy you've found each other. Have you taken him out to Katie's grave yet? When he talked to me he mentioned he wanted to go out there." She asked.

"Stop jabbering in there, I want to see my granddaughter in a dress." Grandma Vera called from the other side of the dressing room door. Making us chuckle a little bit.

"Why does he want to go out there so much?" I asked her. I didn't understand him. Did he really bring me out here just to take me to my daughter's grave site? Why did it mean so much to him?

"Because, Katie is important to you." My mother answered. "You'll find that when you love someone. The things they care about, depending on what they are, become important to you. Katie is a part of you. I think him wanting to visit Katie's grave is his way of showing you how much he cares about you." She finished lacing up the dress while I thought about what she said. It made sense, that had to be why he brought me out here.

"There we are." My mother squealed happily while she admired the dress. "You look beautiful."

…

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

After speaking with Mr. Higham, he had to go to work, leaving me alone in Olivia's childhood home. I explored the house, looking for things that could give me more information about my future bride. It didn't take me long to find Olivia's old room. There was the basic bed, a dresser, a desk, a closet, a couple of bookcases. It was a clean room covered with pastel colors.

I walked across the room to Olivia's desk. It didn't take too long before I came across her journal. I flipped through the pages, merely glancing through what she had written until I came across an entry about her rape.

I could tell she was shaking when she wrote it. Her handwriting was sketchy but readable. I was able to read about the rape, pregnancy, her suicide attempt and a little bit about the therapy she received before she came to me, when I heard the front door open. I put the journal back on her desk when I noticed a binder.

"Jonathan?" I heard Olivia called. I opened the binder to see what looked like a photo journal. I turned a few pages before I found some pregnancy pictures. Olivia had written how far a long she was next to the pictures. I was looking through them when Olivia came into the room.

"Hey." She greeted as she walked up to me. She looked over my shoulder to see what I was looking at. "Snooping around Dr. Crane?"

"Yeah, your dad left, I left my calculations at the hotel and I didn't really have anything to do. Is it alright if I see these?" I questioned.

"It's fine. I was going to get them out to show you anyway." She replied pulling a chair next to me. "You've been asking about Katie a lot lately. I thought you'd like to see them."

Olivia went through the pictures with me, telling me about some stories about her pregnancy. She hadn't opened up with her pregnancy with me like this before. She answered my questions and seemed to relax a bit. She probably figured I was using this as a therapy session.

"I was thinking, maybe after dinner, we could go down to the cemetery." Olivia suggested after I closed the binder. She was taking me up on my offer from the night before.

….

"It's been so long since I've been here." Olivia confessed as she placed a bouquet of flowers on her daughter's grave. "I came out here the day before I left for Gotham. I didn't know I'd be coming back."

She knelt next to the head stone as she softly stroked the polished rock in front of her. "I always wanted her. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her."

"Did you ever think about keeping her?" I inquired. When Olivia did talk about her daughter she always referred to Katie's adoptive parents.

"I wanted to actually. I couldn't have taken care of her. She deserved better than what I could have given her." Olivia answered. She was quiet for a moment.

I had seen Olivia cry several times before but this seemed different somehow. I could see the tears roll down her cheeks. This is what we came here for. She didn't realize it yet but she was facing this ghost. In a way, having our own child would also help her overcome it. That would have to wait a while longer.

Olivia talked more about her daughter, the hopes and dreams she had, had for her. Occasionally I would ask her a question for the most part I let her grieve.

"It's starting to get dark. We should head back to the hotel." I told her after we had been there a while. She nodded before standing back up. Our hands met and we started to make our way out of the cemetery.

"Thanks for bringing out here. Visiting Katie's grave was more liberating than I thought it would be." Liv smiled.

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." I told her. She went to say something when we heard a woman call Olivia's name.

We turned around to see a couple walking up to us with a little boy in the man's arms.

"Andrea?" Olivia questioned as the family reached us. "How are you guys? It's been a long time."

"It has been a long time. We're doing well. We just adopted this little guy a couple days ago. We wanted to bring him buy to 'meet' his big sister." The woman motioned to the little boy in her husband's arms. "How are you doing? Is this your husband?"

"Almost, we're engaged. Jonathan this is Andrea and Michael Jensen. They're the couple that was going to adopt Katie." Olivia introduced me to the couple. I turned back to the people in front of us as Michael extended his hand to me. I shook it as we said the normal 'hi' and 'nice to meet you'. Olivia and Andrea talked for a couple minutes before they said their goodbyes and we were walking back towards the car.

It would take time but I would help Olivia lose her faith in people. She wouldn't trust anyone but me.

….

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"The Jensen's' seem like nice people." Jonathan commented, once we made it back to our hotel room.

"They are. They would have been good parents to Katie." I said, hoping he would take time to tell me about his childhood now. Jonathan motioned for me to join him at the table that sat in the corner of the room.

"You would have been a good mom to her too." Jonathan stated as we sat next to each other. I smiled as his comment. I wanted to believe it.

"Are you going to tell me about your childhood now?" I questioned, hoping he would follow up on his part of the deal.

"I haven't talked about it for a while." Jonathan explained. "I've already told you I was raised by my great-grandmother. From the information my grandmother gave me, my father left before I while my mother was still pregnant. My mother left after I was born. She didn't want anything to do with me so left me with her grandmother."

"You two didn't like each other?" I questioned, though it wasn't hard to tell he didn't care for his great-grandmother.

"She was a vile woman, be glad you never met her." Jonathan answered. I trusted his words but I didn't fully understand until he went on. "When I was young, maybe nine or ten, my grandmother took me an old broken down church full of birds, more specifically crows. She locked me in the church for several hours. I didn't know it before hand, but she had drenched the clothes I was in some kind of homemade chemical that caused the birds to attack me. There were also other incidences that were abusive."

I stared at him as I sunk this in. I knew he didn't want to talk about his childhood but I didn't understand why until now. How could someone who was supposed to love and take care of him treat him like that?

"Please tell me school was better for you." I inquired.

"It wasn't but that's not important. There are several other reasons but it's part of why I'm so fascinated with fear and why I started creating my toxin." Jonathan explained. "Liv, none of these things are important. Let's just move on with our lives. We have the toxin, you have school, we'll get married and have our own family. Our future is what we should be focusing on."

How could he move past this so easily? That was only a glimpse of what his childhood was like. What else had happened to him? I had so many questions but I felt lucky to get that out much out of him. I nodded and agreed. Right now the focus needed to be on our future.

…

"So how was your first day here?" Jonathan asked coming into the pharmacy I was stationed at, at Arkham. Time past and I finished up the first semester of the pharmacy tech program.

"Hey, it's been good." I said, "It's busier here than I thought it would be." My job wasn't that hard. It was busy but fun. I enjoyed working along with the pharmacist, Mrs. Matthews. She was an older lady but she kept a close eye on me. It was only first day of my internship and I was still learning the ropes. I was taking the second set of classes so I was only there in the afternoon.

"When does your shift end?" Jonathan asked. I looked up to the clock and realized I would be finishing up in the next 15 minutes.

"At 6." I answered turning back to him.

"Good, stop by my office when you clock out. We'll go home together." He instructed.

"Ok sounds good." I smiled. He went to say something when his phone went off.

"Dr. Crane." He said into the device. He talked for a minute before hanging the phone up. He went to continue our conversation when Mrs. Matthews called for me.

"I'll let you get back to work." Jonathan said.

"Alright, see you soon." I told him and he left the pharmacy.

Fifteen minutes passed and I had just clocked out from the pharmacy. It only took a few minutes before I arrived at a door with the name "Dr. Jonathan Crane" written in the nameplate. I knocked on the door before I heard Jonathan tell me to come in.

"Hey." I said as I entered his office. Jonathan was putting papers into his briefcase, getting ready to leave the asylum for the day.

"Hey." Jonathan greeted as he closed his briefcase. "Let's go do an experiment.

….

More time passed. I quickly glided my fingers over laptop keys. I couldn't wait to see my test results. I looked down at the piece of paper with the ID and password they had given me so I could see my test results. I looked up at the clock making sure it was close to the time they told me the results would be up. Once I realized the results should be posted I quickly typed my ID and password into the machine and waited for the page to load.

Jonathan was working on paperwork, as always, in the next room. I took in a deep breath. I had worked hard to be at this point. I needed to pass this test so I could continue to work at the asylum with Jonathan. I also needed to pass this test so the wedding could proceed as scheduled. I didn't want to let him down. I didn't want to let myself down.

A huge smile spread across my lips as I realized passed the test. I could officially take the job at the asylum and Jonathan and I wouldn't have to postpone our wedding.

I quickly got up from the table and walked into Jonathan's office. I couldn't wait to tell him. I couldn't contain my smile as I walked over to his desk. It didn't take long for him to notice my smile. He looked up at the clock to realize I must have the test results by now.

"You passed?" he questioned. I nodded excitedly.

"I got 97%!" I announced proudly. Jonathan's smirk grew as his hand took mine and he pulled me into a kiss.

"So what do you think?" Jonathan started to ask. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Crane?" I didn't think my smile could widen but it did. I couldn't remember a time where I had felt so happy.

"Yes." I answered before giving him another kiss. I couldn't believe it. In one week, I was going to become Mrs. Olivia Crane.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! Thanks to all of you for reading and to those who are following/favoring my story. A special thanks to those who reviewed:_

**MalloryMIW:** _Hi! Thanks for your review! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story so far. I hope you will enjoy this chapter! :D_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _haha, I agree it's cute and it becomes official in this chapter! ;) Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter. :D_

**Tonya:** _Thanks. I always worry about my stories moving too fast so hopefully it wasn't too bad. Yes, we are starting part two. I hope you will like it. Thanks for the review! :D_

**ZennyZootSuit:** _Thanks for the review! I hope you will enjoy this chapter! :D_

_I think that's everyone. This chapter is a little shorter but I hope you will enjoy it. They get married in this chapter. I didn't really include the wedding itself but hopefully you'll still enjoy the chapter. We're going to be getting into Batman Begins towards the end of the next chapter. So that will be fun! If you have a moment please leave a review! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!-Lin_

….

"I was thinking." Jonathan started to say as we sat at the kitchen table. "I'm thinking it's time we take you off the birth control."

It was a couple days before the wedding. My family would be flying in the next day. I was a little worried about my mother. There were plans she wanted to go over even though Jonathan and I had already picked out everything. For the most part she was respectful but I really didn't want to have to deal with drama the day before my wedding.

"Yeah?" I questioned. I was surprised by this topic. He had originally told me we would discuss having a baby after the wedding.

"Don't expect to it happen right away. I doubt you'll get pregnant this month or next but it seems like the time to start trying." Jonathan thoughtfully stated. "Unless you want to put it off for a while."

"I think I'm ready to start trying." I insisted. I wanted to have his baby. It did seem like it was the right time to start trying.

"Good, only take what I prescribed you. What I've given you should be safe for pregnancy. I'll also write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. They should help keep your body healthy enough for pregnancy."

I nodded. I was glad Jonathan deemed it time to have a baby. Our lives were perfect. I couldn't have been happier. If only I had realized what was going to happen.

…

"Olivia." My mother chimed as she saw me. Karl and I still weren't on speaking terms so I met my family at the airport. Jonathan offered me the car for the morning so I could pick them up. I wasn't very fond of driving in Gotham. Traffic was horrible and always busy but I managed.

I gave each family member a hug except Brian. He kept texting on his cell phone and ignored me so nothing much was said between us. That was ok with me. My mother and grandmother talked happily about their trip and the wedding while my father and brother stayed quiet.

After dropping suitcases, my father and brother off at the hotel I took my mother and grandmother to the reception center, Jonathan and I had chosen as our wedding venue. There wouldn't be a reception afterwards, just a small luncheon for family and close friends. It would be a small but elegant wedding.

"It's not very big." My mother observed as she walked into the room. The decorations weren't complete yet but the room looked nice and clean.

"No, it's not that big but it's perfect for our needs." I told her.

"You know if you were going to do something small like this. You two should have just eloped to Vegas or something." Grandma Vera commented.

"Mother!" mom said, giving her a nasty look. I smiled at them as they argued a little bit. If my mother had had her way I would be having a big white wedding, princess style. She seemed disappointed she hadn't been included in all the wedding plans. However, she was pleased that she had been there when I chose my dress.

My dress wasn't traditional either. It was a black and red dress. I couldn't see myself in a white dress. I couldn't wait to get tomorrow over with. I just wanted to be married to Jonathan and go back to everyday life.

We stayed at the reception hall a few more hours before everything was finalized for the next day. Jonathan would be getting off of work soon and we were going to meet him for dinner. After we picked up the boys we went to the restaurant we were meeting Jonathan at. We made it there before Jonathan did; we were shown to our table and talking to give Jonathan time to get out of Arkham. For Jonathan, leaving Arkham was a rough task. There was always someone with a question for him or some other random thing.

"It'll be so nice to have such a handsome doctor in the family." Grandma Vera dreamily commented, staring off into a corner. I smiled at her words before my mother started up the conversation.

"So where is Jonathan taking you on your honeymoon?" mom asked. My dad and brother groaned a bit. I'm sure my honeymoon was the last thing they wanted to talk/think about.

"We have some vacation time in the summer. We haven't really talked about it too much but we'll go somewhere then." I answered.

"That seems like a long ways away." She commented.

"Where Jonathan's a doctor and works where he does it's hard for him to get time off." I explained. They nodded.

"That's going to be the rest of your life, you realize that right?" my father asked. I knew Jonathan and I wouldn't be able to just pick up and leave anytime we wanted. There weren't many people who could do that. Our lives were busy, whose wasn't?

"Of course." I answered when I saw Jonathan. He nodded at me as he approached the table. He gave me a kiss before taking the seat next to me.

"Nice to see you again, Dr. Crane." My grandmother winked to my fiancé. Crap, I hope they won't embarrass me too much while they're here.

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

I looked up at the clock to see that it was 15 minutes from when the wedding was supposed to take place. There were only a few more minutes until I would 'legally' own Olivia. She would be my wife and I would be her life. My plan was, as always, falling into place.

After about ten minutes of waiting I made my way out to the room the ceremony would take place in. I was almost there when I was confronted by Olivia's cousin Karl Finch.

"Dr. Crane." He greeted me. I raised an eyebrow at his formality. The man didn't like me. He shouldn't even be here.

"Mr. Finch. I don't believe you were invited to this occasion." I commented.

"I wasn't. I didn't even know you two were engaged until a couple of weeks ago after talking to Olivia's father." He answered. Why was this bastard here? If he thought he was going to ruin the wedding, I would give him a dose of the toxin here and now. Olivia was going to be my wife regardless of what he did.

"Then why are you here?" I inquired.

"I just wanted to make sure you aren't going to hurt her." He simply said.

"I don't wish to hurt her Mr. Finch." I sharply stated. This man had no right or business being here. He hadn't been supportive of Olivia and had endangered her mind several times.

'_No you don't wish to hurt her. You merely wish to control her._' Scarecrow cackled. That was true. It had never been my intention to hurt her. My main intention was to manipulate her into becoming what I wanted. She had gone a long with my plan perfectly. She trusted and loved me.

"Good." Karl growled. "Make sure you don't."

"Is that a threat Mr. Finch?"

"Not at all, I just don't want her to get hurt."

"I think we've already covered that Mr. Finch. Now if you'll excuse me. I'm getting married in a few minutes." I sharply informed him before walking away. That bastard would regret it if he tried to ruin the wedding.

I didn't see Mr. Finch throughout the rest of the day. Olivia didn't seem to know that he had even been there.

Olivia and I said our "I do's" in front of the small crowed. It was a small ceremony as I knew it would be. Olivia was officially Mrs. Crane. She was legally bound to me. I owned her and things were still moving on as planned. I just needed something different with my toxin. There had to be a way to increase its effect on my test subject.

…..

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"I have a meeting this morning so I'll be busy. I'm not sure if I'll be able to have lunch with you today." Jonathan informed me as we got ready for our day at work.

Five and a half months passed since our wedding. My parents had gone home the day of the wedding, leaving Jonathan and I to enjoy the rest of the day alone. Nothing much really changed after the wedding. I was glad to have it over with and to be Mrs. Crane. Our lives pretty much stayed the same. We went to work, played with the toxin and actively tried for a baby. Still no luck in that department.

"Is it a medical meeting?" I questioned. It wasn't uncommon for him to have a medical meeting every now and then.

"No, it's something to do with the toxin." He answered putting on the coat for his suit.

"The toxin?" I questioned, "I didn't realize anyone else knew about the toxin." Jonathan was very selective

"The man contacted me. He says he has something that could improve the toxin."

"Who is he?"

"Ra's al Ghule."

…..

"Hey." I greeted as Jonathan came into the pharmacy. "How was your meeting?"

"Where's Mrs. Mathews?" Jonathan asked as he glanced through the pharmacy. Whatever he wanted to talk about it had to be about the toxin and his meeting with Ra's al Ghule. Now that we were married, he didn't act as secretive about our relationship as he had. He would visit me every now and then in the pharmacy and we would have lunch together almost every day.

"She went to get some coffee." I answered. "She should be back any time."

"I have something I want you to look at." Jonathan informed me after thinking things through for a moment. He closed the pharmacy door and locked it. He looked around the pharmacy before he spotted a camera and quickly took care of that. Now we had complete privacy.

"What is it?" I questioned setting down the pen I had been playing with. Wednesdays were boring in the pharmacy. I wasn't sure why. There just didn't seem to be as much to do those days.

"Something that will help us in our experiments." He responded before he handed the bag to me. I gave him another quizzical look. Even though we had been together for over two years he still managed to surprise me. I couldn't read him as well as he could read me. I knew him but there was still a mystery about him. Tall, dark, handsome and mysterious described my husband perfectly.

I looked through the plastic transparent bag and was surprised at what I was looking at. Being interested in botany all those years gave me a pretty good knowledge of plants. I had never seen this particular flower though. It was blue; part of the stem was still barely attached while the petals rested in the sepals. It was beautiful!

"What is it?" I asked. Did Jonathan really just close the door to the pharmacy to give me a flower? He rarely bought me flowers. He knew I loved them but they died so fast we both agreed they were a waste of money.

"I'm not sure what it's official name is called. Ra's al Ghule told me it's a rare blue flower. This could help with the toxin. This may be the missing link, Liv. This could be the ingredient I need to enhance my toxin."

Confused, I stared at him a little longer while he continued to talk about the chemistry of it. I didn't understand how a flower could enhance the toxin. He seemed to have thought this through. He knew exactly what needed to be done.

I asked him some questions but knowing my supervisor would be back soon. Jonathan explained parts of it but not in great detail. After a few more minutes of discussing the flower he told me we would pick up our conversation a home. I still had a lot of questions to ask but it could wait.

"I'll work on calculations at home. The right formula may take some time but I'm positive we'll be trying a stronger toxin within the next few weeks." Jonathan told me right before we heard a knock on the door.

"Olivia, why is the door locked?" we heard Mrs. Mathew's asked through the door. Jonathan gave me a smirk before he pulled me into a kiss. He tugged lightly at my shirt before we heard another knock.

"Olivia." We heard my boss call again. Jonathan ended the kiss.

"We better get back to work. I'll see you after our shifts are over." He said.

"Ok." I nodded before we walked over the door. Jonathan gave me another kiss before unlocking the door.

"About time, Liv, why…?" Mrs. Mathews started to say before she saw Jonathan. "Oh, Dr. Crane, sorry I didn't see you there."

"Not a problem. I'll see you later Liv." Jonathan stated before leaving the pharmacy. Mrs. Mathews looked between the two of us as Jonathan walked away.

"You know I'd prefer it if you and your husband kept your 'personal' lives out of my pharmacy." Mrs. Mathews told me before she walked passed me and went to her desk.

"What do you mean?" I asked her confused. What in the world was she talking about?

"I understand that when spouses work in the same building things like that are bound to happen but if you're doing to do it, please just do it in Dr. Crane's office. I don't really want to walk in on anything and I don't like being locked out of the pharmacy." She answered.

I stared at her still confused. It took me a moment to realize how things must have looked to her. I looked down to my shirt to see it was pulled out of my pants. Jonathan staged it to like we had just had a quickie in the pharmacy. Damn it Jonathan!

….

"You know that wasn't very nice." I told Jonathan as he closed the door to our apartment.

"What?" he asked giving me a quizzical look.

"Making Mrs. Mathews think we had a quickie in the pharmacy. It wasn't very fun to have my boss tell me if you and I are going to do it, to do it in your office not the pharmacy."

Jonathan's eye brow raised and he sent me an amused smirk.

"She really said that?" he questioned. I nodded. His smirk widened a bit before he approached me and pulled me into a kiss.

"I think you're trying to distract me from our conversation." I said in between a couple of kisses.

"Is it working?" he asked. I nodded before he gave me another kiss and picked me up bridal style and took me to the bedroom.

…

"Well that was a nice distraction." I told Jonathan as I got out the supplies I would need to make dinner.

"It wasn't meant as a distraction." He told me. "I just thought we should have some fun."

"Well we definitely did that. So do you want to tell me about your meeting with that Ra's al Ghule guy? Who is he? What does he want you to do with the toxin?" I asked. I had no idea who this guy was or why he was offering Jonathan something that could make the toxin stronger. I knew what was in it for Jonathan but what was in it for Ra's al Ghule?

"Let's finish the toxin. I'll tell after that."

"Why?

"Trust me. After the toxin is perfected, I will tell you everything."

…

A couple weeks passed since Jonathan first showed me the blue flower. He was still working on finding the right dosage but that's what the experiments were for. We hadn't had as much time to do experiments as either of us would have liked.

Jonathan and I had been trying to have a baby for six months now and it was frustrating. The experiments, work and time with Jonathan helped with the disappointment of the negative pregnancy tests. It shouldn't bother me as much as it did. The Jensen's had tried to have a baby for nearly ten years before they started working on the adoption process. My situation was different though. I could get pregnant. I had carried a pregnancy to 37 weeks before. I should be able to carry and give my husband a child.

'_Ugh, these things take way too long.'_ I thought as I stood in the women's restroom at Arkham. I watched the pregnancy test waiting for the results to appear. I wasn't a big fan of waiting. I know they say patience is a virtue but I didn't want virtue at the moment. I wanted to know if I was pregnant or not.

It only took a few more seconds before two blue lines appeared. A huge smile formed on my face as my heart leaped. I was pregnant!


	21. Chapter 21

'_Ok Liv, concentrate.'_ I reminded myself. I knew Mrs. Matthews would check my work and I hadn't made a mistake with my work yet. I had just found out I was pregnant though, it was hard to think about anything but the pregnancy.

My period was due the next day so I knew I wasn't that far along. Still, I wanted to be done with work, tell Jonathan about the pregnancy, get on my laptop and find one of those online due date estimators. I wanted to plan everything for my baby. However, I knew a positive pregnancy test didn't guarantee a baby in nine months. Memories of the miscarriage crept up momentarily until I heard Mrs. Matthews walk up to me.

"Are you finished with that prescription?" she smiled looking over my shoulder at my calculations. "Umm, Olivia, you've completely messed up your calculation. If we followed your work we would end up giving the patient hallucinations. Are you alright? It's not like you to mess up on a prescription."

I paused for a moment while I took in what she said. I looked the problem over and she was right. I could have completely overdosed this guy if she hadn't checked my work.

"Yeah, I'm just distracted." I answered while I tried to redo the calculation in my head. However, I'm not Jonathan and I wasn't that great at math if I didn't write it down. "Do you mind if I take a quick break? I'll just grab a drink of water and get some fresh air. Then I'll be good as new."

"Sure. Be back in ten minutes." Mrs. Matthews agreed. I thanked her, hung up my white lab coat and made my way out of the pharmacy. I was lucky to have such an understanding, noninvasive boss.

I went into the lounge area the staff used for lunch, breaks and our once a week staff meetings. I grabbed a cup of water and made my way over to one of the opened yet barred windows.

I had to find a way to get my mind off the pregnancy so I could do my job safely. I couldn't afford to do that again. In pharmacy everything had be exact, I couldn't mess up again.

I continued to sip my water and think until I felt a hand on my back. I jumped slightly and turned to see Jonathan. A smirk formed on his face when he realized he had startled me.

"Don't do that." I gasped quietly before I let out a small chuckle.

"Sorry." He apologized the smirk was still present on his lips. "Are you alright? I didn't think you had a break before lunch."

"I don't. I just needed a drink so Mrs. Matthews gave me ten minutes. What about you? Are you on a coffee break?" I asked before I nodded to the foam cup in his hand. He shook his head.

"No I was on my way to a cell to treat a patient and I happened to notice you in here. I usually don't see you here when I'm on my rounds so I thought I should make sure you're alright." He explained. That made sense. It was still early in the work day and I knew Jonathan liked to do his rounds early.

"I'm fine." I remarked. I thought for a moment. Should I tell him about the pregnancy now or should I wait? Yeah right, like I could keep this a secret from him.

"You know you really shouldn't do that." I started out. Jonathan gave me a confused look.

"Do what?" he questioned.

"Scare the hell out of the woman who's carrying your child." I leaned in and whispered. I didn't want our co-workers to know about the pregnancy until I was further along. I watched Jonathan while he took in the news. He pulled me closer to him and moved further in so our conversation would be more private.

"You're pregnant?" He quietly asked. I nodded. "Do you know how far along you are?"

"Just barely four weeks." I answered. Jonathan nodded as he started to do the calculation for our baby's due date in his head. At least I assumed that's what he was doing. I'm not a mind reader but I image he wanted to know our child's due date as much as I did.

"If things go well, the baby should be here in February." He commented after he had finished his calculations.

"There's so much to do in such a short amount of time. I don't know how I'm going to concentrate on work." I confessed.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about that too much at this point. When you're 20 weeks, we'll find out what gender the baby is and we'll get ready for him or her then." Jonathan suggested. That made sense but I still felt impulsive to start buying baby things.

Things felt so different this time around. I had always loved Katie and I always would. I had, had a good support system while I was pregnant with her. This time around, I was with someone who cared about this baby as much as I did. I didn't have to depend on my parents like I did with Katie. I felt capable. I hadn't felt that way in a very long time.

"I…"I started to say when Jonathan's name was blared out by the intercom.

"I need to take care of that and get back to my rounds. We'll talk more at lunch and at home." Jonathan reassured me.

"Ok." I agreed. My ten minutes were almost up and I needed to get back to the pharmacy anyway. Jonathan escorted me to the pharmacy before he went back to his routine.

….

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

'It's about time.' Scarecrow cackled after I left Olivia at the pharmacy. It had taken longer than I thought it would for her to get pregnant. I didn't think anything would happen in the first couple of months but I had thought we would have some luck in the third or fourth month. As long as she got through the first trimester Olivia and the baby would be fine.

The only problem was I wasn't sure if I could include Olivia in my experiments during the pregnancy. I didn't know what the toxin would do to the mind of a fetus. Sure the scarecrow masks would help protect it but I wasn't at a point where I wanted to risk my child's developing brain. He or she would grow up with my logic and not the misguidance of society. Eventually the child will learn to use the toxin and spread fear to the world.

…

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"Hey." I greeted. Jonathan had just made it to his office now that our work day was done.

"Hey. I just need to put some things in my brief case and we can go home." He told me while he unlocked the door to his office. I just nodded and waited for him to finish up. Jonathan ended up working through his lunch break so we didn't get to talk then. I was able to concentrate enough for the rest of the prescriptions I helped fill so that was fine.

"I need to set up a prenatal appointment for you with Dr. Anderson. I went to medical school with him. He's one of the few doctors I trust in Gotham." Jonathan informed me.

"You're sending me to a male doctor?" I asked.

"I'll set up your appointment at a time when I can be there, Liv. He's not going to do anything to you." Jonathan answered. That made me feel a little better but still…I forgot how stressed I felt about it the first time I was pregnant.

"I doubt you'll see him before you're 12 weeks along. You don't have to feel stressed about it." Jonathan reassured. Stress was the last thing I needed. I wanted to carry this baby to full term and one way to help that was to stay stress free.

Dr. Anderson had to be alright if Jonathan trusted him. Still, there were so many tests they did at the first prenatal appointment. I wanted to skip it and go straight to the second one…or third…or just skip to the end and have a healthy, snuggly baby in my arms. I liked that plan but it was entirely unrealistic.

"Why can't you do the prenatal appointments, catch the baby and all that stuff? You're a doctor?" I questioned.

"I'm a psychiatrist not an obstetrician. If the baby was coming and I had to, I could safely deliver the baby. That being said, I don't have all the recourses at my disposal that you need for proper prenatal care." He replied. I was a little surprised by his remarks but nodded. "Let's go home." Jonathan said as he placed the last stack of papers into his briefcase.

…..

Screams filled the cell I was standing outside of. I watched while Jonathan performed another one of his experiments on Mr. Savage. The toxin was stronger now that we had the blue flower as an ingredient. Jonathan was still playing around with the formula but it was a lot stronger.

Jonathan didn't include me as much with his experiments. It wasn't nearly as much fun being told to stand on the sidelines while he did the fun part. Very rarely did he allow me to handle the toxin itself but he always had be in the room with him until he found out I was pregnant. His concerns made sense; I didn't want to harm our child either. Still, the thrill wasn't as strong watching it from the outside. I wanted to be in the room especially when he experimented on Mr. Savage.

I wanted to see the fear on Mr. Savage's face. Honestly I wanted to see the fear on all our victims faces. I wanted to watch them crumble apart as their worst nightmares became reality. I wanted to hear their screams while no one came to their rescue, like no one came to mine. I could still hear their screams from outside the cell but I couldn't see their facial expressions as easily. Their reactions were the best part.

A few more minutes passed before Jonathan came out into the hall. He put his hand on my back as he said, "Let's go."

Time had passed since I took the pregnancy test. The first prenatal appointment went well and we were even able to hear the baby's heartbeat. We would be going to Gotham General for an ultrasound in the morning. Jonathan was able to schedule things so he could be there. I was now thirteen weeks along and I couldn't wait to see our baby.

"The toxin's affect has increased significantly." He started to say. "The blue flower has been a great assist for us in our work."

"How close to being maximum strength do you think it's getting?" I asked. We were home now and were chatting away while I put dinner together.

"It's getting close." He acknowledged. "It's not there yet but the reactions I've been getting are remarkable. It surpasses the fear I've seen before now. It's incredible."

"Are you at a point where you can tell me about Ra's Al Ghul? What are his plans with the toxin?" I questioned. I wanted to know why he had given Jonathan the blue flower. What was in it for him?

"Not yet." He answered. "I promise when I finish completing the toxin, I will tell you."

…..

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

"Do ultrasounds every start on time?" Olivia asked while we sat in the waiting room at Gotham General. She was anxious. She had been the night before. I couldn't blame her; we both wanted to see our child.

"It's Gotham General." I replied. "It's a very busy hospital. I doubt anything starts on time here." It was annoying that we had to wait, when we were here on time. We had already been there a half hour and there was no sign that they were anywhere close to being ready for us.

"I know it's still too early to find out but do you want a girl or a boy?" she questioned. She leaned into me.

"I just want a healthy baby." I answered before a woman came out with a file in her hand.

"Olivia Crane." The woman said before she looked up into the crowd. Liv took my hand and we followed the tech back into the ultrasound room.

…

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. I was going through a writer's block but I have my inspiration back now and I'll update more often. _

_Thanks to everyone who is reading/following/favoring my story. I hope you all will continue to enjoy this story. Thanks to those who reviewed:_

**AlainHotCoco1**: _I'm glad you liked the chapter. Lol, yeah I figured I should put a little bit of humor into the chapter. I hope you liked the update and that you'll continue to like my story. Thanks for the review!_

**Megushie:** _Thanks for the review! I hope you will continue to enjoy my story._

**EleanorBlythe:** _Thanks for the review! I hope you'll like where the story is headed, babywise._

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _Hi! Thanks for the review! Haha, yep they're married and getting a baby. I hope you'll continue to enjoy my story._

**Applejax XD:** _Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story as it progresses._

**Push to shove:** _Thanks for the review! No problem I don't mind my typos being pointed out so I don't make them again. I hope you'll continue to enjoy my story._

**stand out-SHOUT OUT:** _Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you're enjoying my story. I hope you will continue to enjoy my story and its progress. _

_I hope I got everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks again!-Lin_


	22. Chapter 22

**Olivia's P.O.V**

"What are you doing?" I asked while Jonathan led me into the bedroom.

"Just lie down on the bed." He instructed me for the third or fourth time.

"Why?" I questioned again before I did as he asked. This isn't how he would initiate sex so something else had to be going on.

"I want to try something." He answered before pulling out a fetal Doppler.

"Where did you get that?" I questioned. I realized he was asked me to lay down so we could hear the baby's heartbeat.

"I borrowed it from the asylum." He answered as I lifted my shirt up so he could squirt some of that weird goo onto my stomach. I wasn't expecting that answer. Why would Arkham have a fetal Doppler? I debated on asking Jonathan but he had the Doppler turned on and had just placed it on my stomach.

I watched and listened and he glided the wand across my abdomen. It only took a couple of seconds before he found the baby.

"There we are." Jonathan smirked. He looked to me before looking back down at the Doppler. "The baby has a good strong heartbeat."

I had to say this was definitely a perk of being married to a medical doctor. I couldn't help but smile as we listened to the heartbeat.

…..

Time went on as it always does. The ultrasound went well. I loved seeing my baby move around. I also loved having Jonathan there to see our child. Everything looked well and our baby looked healthy and active.

A few more weeks went by and I was now 18 weeks along. Another day of work had just ended and I was working on some dinner while Jonathan was in his office.

I placed the casserole in the oven and had just picked up a cup from the cupboard when I felt a small flutter from my stomach. I jumped slightly and dropped the cup. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach so see if I could feel another flutter. A loud sound was heard as the cup I had been holding shattered on the floor.

"Olivia?" I heard Jonathan call from his office. I felt another flutter and a smile spread across my face. Jonathan appeared from around the corner. He walked up to me, his eyes spotted the hand on my stomach and he quickly walked up to me.

"Are you alright?" he asked. I nodded, grabbed his hand and put it on my stomach.

"The baby," I started "it's moving!"

…..

**Jonathan's P.O.V**

A couple of weeks passed since Olivia started to feel the baby move. Everything was going smoothly so far and with some luck and proper care they would continue to do so.

"How was your morning?" I asked Olivia as we made our way to my office. We mostly ate lunch at the employee's lounge but I wasn't in the mood to deal with our coworkers at the moment. Olivia and I were getting tired of our coworkers asking random and some rather inappropriate questions about the pregnancy.

"It was good, just busy as usual." She answered. "You?"

"The most exciting thing that's happened today was one of my patients had a manic episode and I had to have the guards strap him down to a chair so I could give him his medication." I replied. It was been a hectic morning and I was ready for an hour break with my wife.

I had just opened the door to my office when Olivia stopped and leaned against the doorframe. Her face was concentrated and her hand moved to her stomach.

"Are you alright?" I asked. She had done this a couple of times before usually when she was feeling the baby move. Olivia nodded, quickly grabbed my hand and put it to her stomach. I hadn't felt the baby move before. It seemed like every time Olivia felt the baby move, he or she would stop moving as soon as I put my hand on her stomach to try to feel him/her move. Needless to say I was surprised when I actually felt a small kick come from my wife's stomach.

"Did you feel that?" Olivia asked. She watched me closely. I nodded as a smile formed on my lips.

…

"The toxin is almost complete." I told my employer over the phone. "The order can be fulfilled and dispelled within the walls of Arkham. I need a team to compile the amount you are requesting within the time you need it."

"There are plenty of people in Gotham that would be willing to work for the right price. I'll need to send you a larger supply of the rare blue flower as well. Talk with the drug lord Carmine Falcone. I will send you the money to offer him for his services." The man on the other end of the line instructed.

"Alright." I agreed. I needed the supply he had to offer to continue with my experiments. I could handle the scum of Gotham. Plus filling the city with my toxin would cause a mass hysteria. That would prove to be interesting and fascinating.

Once my phone conversation with Mr. Al Ghul ended and I picked up my paperwork for one of my patients. I needed to read through some charts and decide what would be an appropriate course of action for his treatment.

At work I was normally busy enough I could shut out my personal life and even Scarecrow on occasion. Today was different though. Olivia was 20 weeks along in her pregnancy now and we would be finding out the gender of our child the next day. She was anxious to know if we were getting a son or daughter and in all honesty so was I.

It didn't matter if we were getting a boy or girl; my plan for my child would stay the same. Still it would be nice to know.

I worked in my office for a few hours before I decided to make my evening rounds and meet Olivia at the pharmacy. As much as I hated her in the Narrows I did like having her close by, especially with the pregnancy.

"How do you think Olivia will react to spreading the toxin across all of Gotham?" Scarecrow questioned. "Do you think she'll go along with it?"

"She's my wife. She'll do whatever I tell her." I replied. Even at that, Olivia didn't need to know all the details. I would simply tell her the same story Ra's Al Ghul thought I believed. I would tell her we were going to use the toxin to hold the city to ransom.

I didn't believe this story of course. No one would want the amount of toxin Ra's Al Ghul wanted if he didn't intend on using it. I would simply leave out the 'unimportant' details.

…

"I wish they would just call us back, already." Olivia sighed. One of her hands rested in mine while she tapped the arm of her chair with her other hand.

"Just relax." I instructed. "They'll call us back soon enough."

"These things never start on time do they?" she questioned. I smirked at her. She was right though. Our appointment was supposed to be forty-five minutes ago and just sitting around when we needed to get back to work was highly annoying.

Olivia was about to continue her little rant when her name was called.

"Let's go." I told her before I stood up. I helped her to her feet and we followed the ultrasound tech to the back.

Olivia relaxed on the bed-like bench while I took a seat next to her. After the tech had her prepped she moved the wand across my wife's abdomen and almost immediately we saw our child appear on the screen.

Olivia took my hand as the tech went through and explained all the measurements she was taking.

"Did you want to know the gender?" she asked after she finished measuring the baby's abdomen.

"Yes." Olivia quickly replied.

It wasn't too hard to tell what the gender of the baby was. He was active but he wasn't exactly hiding it. In medical school I had to take a basic obstetrician class and reading ultrasounds was something I had learned how to do.

"He's a boy." I told my wife, I looked down to her. The tech quickly agreed with me. A smile spread across Olivia's lips.

"He looks like a strong, healthy boy." The tech added. Everything on the ultrasound agreed with that statement. I had done a good job at making sure Olivia was healthy during her pregnancy. Twenty more weeks give or take a few and we would have a newborn.

…

"What do you think of this crib set?" Olivia asked, her hand rested on her barely noticeable baby bump. I inspected the crib as thoroughly as I could. Only the best would be suitable for my son. Between the money I earned from Arkham and Ra's Al Ghul, I wouldn't have to settle for anything less than the best.

"It's a possibility but I'd like to look through all our options." I told her. She nodded as we continued our shopping trip for baby items.

Olivia had been anxious to start baby shopping before we knew what we were having. Now that we knew we were having a boy it was even harder to keep her away from baby shopping websites. It was the weekend and I was finally available to look at cribs, car seats, swings and anything else we deemed our child needed.

"How about you go look at some baby clothes and I'll choose a crib?" I suggested. She was more interested in baby bedding, baby clothes and nursery decor than I was. If we split up we could cover more ground and I wouldn't be stuck choosing baby bedding when I had chosen a crib.

**Olivia's P.O.V**

I was surprised Jonathan would recommend I go look at baby clothes. I thought we'd choose a crib together but Jonathan seemed to know what he was looking for while I knew nothing about cribs.

"Ok." I nodded. I gave him a quick kiss and made my way over to the clothing section of the store. It was too far away from the cribs so I didn't have far to go. I looked through the mostly blue clothing when I felt a small contraction hit. It didn't last very long so I shrugged it off. A couple minutes later it happened again only it lasted a little longer and was a little harder. I put my hand to my stomach and waited for the braxton hick to finish.

I brushed it aside and continued on with my shopping. It happened a few more times. It wasn't consistent but I was worried now. I didn't remember having this during my previous pregnancy.

I was in the middle of one of these tightening sensations when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned as best I could to see my husband.

"I've gone ahead and ordered a crib I...Liv?" he asked, his face grew concerned. "Are you alright?"

The contraction was tightening instead of releasing like I thought it would. I shook my head.

"Jonathan." I managed to choke out, "Something's wrong."

….

**Author's Note**: _Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. Life and school has been crazy busy! (I blame it on my Chemistry class.) Thanks to everyone for reading my story. Thanks to those who are following/favoring my story._

**Push to Shove:** _Thanks for the review! _

**WarriorDragonElf54**: _I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry cliffhangers are something I'm good at. Thanks for the review!_

**Forgetmenotflowers:** _Thanks! I'm glad that you love the story so far. I hope you will continue to like it. Thanks for the review! _

**AlainHotCoco1:** _Yay for tackle hugs! Lol. I think I updated a little faster with this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the review! _

**ZennyZootSuit:** _Thanks! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! Manipulation is definitely part of Jonathan's personality. I hope you'll like where the story is heading. Thanks for the review! _

_I think I got everyone. I hope I did. Sorry this chapter is so short. Between school, homework and trying to sleep it's the best I could do with the little breaks I have. I will try to have the next chapter out within the week and hopefully it'll be longer! Please leave a review if you have a moment! Constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!-Lin_


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